Cliff Notes

Here's an idea: The next time the Detroit Lions play, they should be able to decide exactly where they would like the ball placed on the field at the start of every first down. "Ref, could you please place the ball on their one yard line?" That would be the dream of every team, to decide where the ball is. (In the case of the Lions, they would still lose).

John Boehner, with his "Igor" Eric Cantor at his side, in the basement of the Capitol the other day, declared essentially that the ball was now in the court of the President and the Congressional Democrats before wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and sending them home for the holidays. Really John? Who told you and your impotent cronies get to decide where the ball is placed? Nice try, sir, but no, the ball is still now more than ever in your court. To send everyone home in the midst of all this was not only misguided but irresponsible. And Mr. Boehner you know it.

John Boehner realizes that he does not have the upper hand here and he seems to be sincerely willing to strike a deal. He knows how to politic. He gets how it works. But his beloved GOP has not caught on yet. He gave up on his power plan A and went to a compromising Plan B. This plan required a tax increase for zillionaires but in exchange it demanded a $3.00 decrease in spending for every new dollar of revenue. Did the President or the Democrats have a chance to shoot this one down? No. Boehner could not even muster enough votes among Republicans to pass Plan B. We should have known. Back when raising the debt ceiling talks were going on a plan was offered to cut $10 in spending for every dollar of increased revenue, and the Repubs turned their noses up at it, costing the USA an A-1 credit rating. Once again, the legitimate Republican party is being held hostage by the Tea Baggers who are scared to death to be viewed as having helped to raise taxes.

And can I just say a word about taxes for a minute? Folks, it costs money to live in the greatest country on Earth. Why do the ultimate welfare moms.... aka Republicans.... want to have the best of everything and not want to pay for it?

But I digress. The point is, Boehner and the others have to be willing to do more, and yes give up some of their Norquist ideology to keep this mess from happening. Because ultimately they are going to lose this one anyway. Unless they figure out a way of graceful concession, they could come out looking like villians. They are also very mindful of the fact the the President was re-elected by some fairly substantial numbers.

Here, Republican friends, is another thing to consider. Let's say we go over this "cliff". On January 2nd the President enters a bill to give the middle class the tax break he wants right now, and offers no spending cuts. Sure Boehner and the boys could stop it in the House, but then what? Vote against lowering taxes? How will that play to the voters?

The Republicans have a chance to avoid all that. They should make a deal now. They should take the $3 in spending cuts, and be able to walk away from the table with something they can brag to their constituencies about.

Tick-tock Repubs. The ball is very much in your court.

Let's Make the Repubs a Deal.

You guys get rid of Lindsey Graham, and we'll get rid of Diane Feinstein. Each seem equally obnoxious. Seems like a fair deal. Please give this serious consideration. Thank you.

Congratulating Themselves For Their Loss

So the latest is that the Romney camp are all slapping fives because they "won" the specific demographics that they set out to win. Are any of them letting that ugly "but we lost" elephant into the room? Apparently not.

A recent ariticle in Slate.com points out at how ecstatic the Romney folks are about capturing the selected targets they set out to win. This is a bit like Doctors congratulating themselves over how successful the operation was even though the patient's dead.

The Romney folks are thrilled because they won the over $50 K a year crowd, White Women, Whites Under 30, and Independents. But I could make an argument that none of that is necessarily true. But even so, when are these folks gonna realize that their perspective of America is a warped perspective and they are so out of touch that unless the GOP seriously re-tools, they may never win another Presidential election. (In the not too distant future, a wealthy old white guy will never have a chance. You are going to be seeing the last of white Presidents in your life-time. And just for the way Obama's been treated, I hope I never see another white President.) See, even though they might have (doubtful) won in these categories, these categories can't win you the election. I have said it before and I'll say it again: Romney ran a masterful, perfect campaign......if it was 1959.

Let's look at this stuff.

1. Incomes Over $50K.
The Romney folks claim they won the $50K-$100K crowd by 6 points. Romney's chief strategist Stuart Stevens actually bragged that "to get middle class America we must be doing something right." If they would actually bother to check (US Census Data) they'd discover that 49.8% of Americans have less than $50K a year in household income. So, to me, that doesn't necessarily mean they wooed the the middle class, but that they really don't know who the middle class is.

2. Whites Under 30.
Stevens brags "While John McCain lost white voters younger than 30 by 10 points, Romney won those voters by 7 points - a 17 point shift." However, joint national exit polling showed that President Obama beat Romney 60% to 36% among voters under 30. So where does the Romney camp get the brass to claim a victory? Simple. Don't count minorities. Those pesky brown and black folks sure can be a pain in the side to old white guys who are only concerned about protecting the wealthy. Almost 40% of voters under 30 were black or latino.

3. White Women.
Glen Bolger (of Public Opinion Strategies- the ones who polled for the Romney Super PAC) didn't think the Republicans had any problem with women. "The first thing I want to point out about the exit polls is that Mitt Romney won among white women by 14 points - 56% to 42%....so next time you hear Republicans are struggling with 'women', push back with that. Yes, the GOP is getting killed with minority women - 4% with black women, 23% with latino women - but the whole "war on women cost Romney the election" is simply not true."
Oh yeah? Let's look at those pesky exit polls again. Among white women Romney was 6 points worse than among white men. Latino women 10 points worse than latino men. Romney won by 7 points among men. So it seems like there's some kind of disconnect between women and the GOP. And it appears not to be exclusively a minorities problem.

4. Independents
Romney did well with independents. He won the battle but lost the war. He captured independents by 5 points, giving him a 1.5% advantage in the overall vote - but that wasn't enough to overcome the fact that most people are Democrats and when everybody votes, Democrats win. Dems outnumbered Repubs 38% - 32% at the polls.

So although the Romney camp won all of the groups they targeted to win, and are bragging about it, they still haven't realized that the groups they felt were key, weren't really key at all. Not enough to win the election anyhow. The Republicans went after the vote of white women. Why white women? Because you know, white women are the only ones that count. Keep thinking like that GOP and the struggles are only beginning. As I have said before, the Republicans can disenfranchise blacks, latinos, surplus Democrats, gays, people that earn less than $50K a year, all they want. But they won't win the big ones doing that. America is changing. The GOP is still staggering in a "what happened?" stupor. But sooner or later they will have to realize that we are all Americans and we all count.

And Mitt, this wasn't about "gifts". You played the same game as the President. He just chose to have more folks on his team.

And finally I have to end with a quote from the astute and wise William Murgan who posted on Facebook: "I've been away for awhile....How did that whole 'take back our country' thing work out?"

Is There Something in Your Eye?

Okay the other side hasn't exactly blinked, but it seems like they are developing a twitch in an eyelid.

Grover Norquist, the anti-tax activist, has pretty much hand-cuffed Congress by bamboozling 38 Republican Senators, and a boatload of Republican House members into signing his pledge that they will never vote to raise taxes. But in the last few days the no tax hike levee is beginning to show cracks.

Within the last few days Senator Saxley Chambliss of Georgia has raised more than a little  doubt about the wisdom of signing the stupid short-sighted pledge. Norquist's "Americans For Tax Reform", are beginning to get backlash from signers who are faced with the reality of the numbers. It is, as it turns out, all about arithmetic.

Many GOP freshmen have recently rejected the idea that they are actually bound by the document. Out on the campaign trail "no taxes" may have a nice ring to it, but once elected and faced with the reality of the numbers, it becomes evident that cuts alone won't do the trick.

Although Chambliss is up for re-election in 2014 and will face the inevitable wrath of Norquist and his goons, he has elected to stand on principle. Chambliss has stated that Norquist has no answers and in fact will stand in the way of ever really containing the ballooning debt. The Senator says that he's "willing to do the right thing and let the political consequences take care of themselves."

At last. A Republican voting country over party. If a few more do this, and am going to call it a full scale blink.

Let's Take A Ride....Over a Cliff.

I don't wanna get all "Thelma and Louise", but I am totally ready to take a ride over this made-up fake-ass fiscal cliff. As Michael Moore observes, this is just a ruse pure and simple to scare middle-class people into wanting to support tax breaks for the super rich. Let's ride it right over the cliff. The tax breaks end for everybody. Then at the beginning of 2013 introduce legislation to extend the breaks for the middle class. I dare the Republicans to defy it.

Why? Because in 2012 Barrack Obama got the highest percentage of the vote since Lyndon Johnson. Barrack Obama got the most votes for any Democratic President in the history of the United States and he was the only one to receive more votes than were gotten by Barrack Obama in 2008! Barrack Obama was the first President to get more than 50% of the vote twice in a row since Franklin Roosevelt.

I hope the President does not back down. No matter how much macho posturing the Republicans do, Obama has them firmly by the balls. I hope he doesn't get into his tendency to be a great compromiser. He doesn't need to be. He's running this now.

John Baughner can be worked with. Mitch McConnell is a moron that needs to go. Just as the Republican party focused all their attention on making Obama a one term President, the Democrats now need to focus on getting Mitch McConnell defeated. For the good of America.

Stay the course President Obama. Do what you were elected to do, and want to do. Hold out... let them blink first. Be their huckleberry. You are going to win this one. Please, take advantage of the Republicans while we have the chance. They are currently running amok trying to figure out why a perfect 1959 campaign in 2012 didn't work.

Hey, Republicans. Keep hating gays. Keep hating legitimate immigration. Keep with your "we don't support...", "we don't support...". Because it wins us elections. What the heck do you support? Stop being negative, and tell us what you're about. Oh, but you can't. Because you're all about yourselves and your big supporters.

My friend has dubbed this "Whitey's Last Stand." Is he wrong? I think not. But let's encourage Congress to vote with him. And if they don't, if the Republicans still can't see the writing on the wall, let's send our voter version of Vince Vega and Jules [see 'Pulp Fiction'] to call on them in 2014. "I said: Do [we] LOOK LIKE A BITCH??!!!"  "Say 'what?' again,...I dare you."

Dear Mitt

You are right. I was given gifts. I was given the gift of a President who cares about me. I was given the gift of probably the most intelligent President in history. I was given the gift of a President with compassion, integrity, and a deep love for this country. Not a man like you, who only wonders what he can suck out of it. I was given the gift of the country I love so much being saved from the blood sucking evil that wants me living in a crummy mobile home and driving a rust bucket to work to help make them wealthier.

Mitt, you may be slick. You may have a great disc jockey voice. You may have mostly good hair days. But you can't fool us. We ain't going for "I'll tell you after the election." And by the way, thank you for picking that lame-brain Paul Ryan as a running mate. CA-CHING!!!! You lost many of my staunch Republican friends at that point. But he is going to bring you Wisconsin, right? Oh wait........

Mitt, I am so over you. You are yesterday's news.

Who Are the real Fiscal Conservatives?

Ever notice how when there's a Republican in the White House the Republicans belly up to the trough and spend like gluttons? But when a Democrat gets in the White House, they suddenly become born-again "Fiscal Conservatives"?

Here's a little history/economics lesson:

Fiscal Conservative Ronald Reagan left us with a $200+ billion dollar DEFICIT.

Fiscal Conservative George H.W. Bush left us with a $300 billion dollar DEFICIT.

"Tax and Spend Liberal" Bill Clinton left us with a $200 billion dollar SURPLUS.

Fiscal Conservative George W. Bush left us with a $482 billion dollar DEFICIT.

I don't know how many more of these "fiscal conservatives" we can afford.

A Week Later

I don't think I ever remember an election where the election results were so devastating to so many people. On Wednesday morning last, there were many, many people that were not only disappointed, as people have been in the past, but angry, hostile, predicting doomsday, and not taking the results well. Many were very alarmed, some were dazed, and many were scratching their heads asking "What happened"?

My boss Bill, who is a wonderful guy, has committed himself to the resistance. His Facebook post declared something to the affect of under ever tyranny there is formed a resistance. The Republican Propaganda machine FOX News didn't do well either. When FOX itself declared Ohio in the Obama column and therefore Obama the winner, the anchor woman left her seat stomped down the hall into the office of the predictors and demanded how they drew their conclusions. Meanwhile back at the desk, Karl Rove was still whining that it was too early to tell. Sorry KR, you ain't pulling that old trick of 2000 this time.

Somewhere in the area of 30 states have had petitions introduced to somebody to secede from the union. That is anger and disappointment. This time I say let them go.

I often wonder if all these people would spend half as much energy just trying to support the President as they do hating on him, this country would be in great shape. If they would spend time working to tweak the Affordable Health Care Act and maybe make it better, we could have excellent health care for all in this nation.

Here's my perception as it has shaped in the last week. I began thinking of it when I noticed that many officers where I work (I work in a prison) refuse to speak with me, and some even turned their heads away. My boss came into my work area on Wednesday morning and he appeared angry. He knows I'm a democrat, and he looked at me with disdain. It seems it's all my fault. He was only given one vote, and apparently I was given 303 electoral votes.

I hope that someday the light will go on for all of the people I work with and they will have a moment of clarity. I hope they will realize that most people think like me. They will maybe someday understand that they are the "radical fringe".

Here's what I think. I think that they all get so caught up in their FOX News/Rush Limbaugh/Sean Hannity world that they actually believe that crap is true. My boss honestly believes that what Rush says is true. He has no idea that Rush makes up his hate for Obama on the spot, backed with no facts. I love the fact that the truth is on my side.

But I am concerned about how hard the opposition is taking their loss. They all had all kinds of things planned to say to me, but instead they were forced to listen to my silence. Get over it already. As my Dad posted on Facebook "If you bet on the wrong horse, get over it. Move on." Exactly. But instead nut-jobs like Donald Trump called for Revolution, and many celebrities tweeted messages of utter despair. Former SNL player Victoria Jackson tweeted "I can't stop crying. America died." Where were you Victoria when George W. raised the debt ceiling 7 times in his eight years, ran us into a confusing and expensive un-neccessary war, lost us the respect of the world, and left us with a 482 billion dollar deficit? Oh that's right Twitter wasn't that popular then.

The thing that bothers me the most is that these folks honestly believe that most Americans feel the way that they do. And yet we don't. They think that taking the richest 1% back to normal rates is somehow "redistribution of wealth." And I will never understand how hard they defend the people who look at them with the most disdain.

Let's get over it already red America. Don't be angry because you were duped into believing that the Repubs stone-walling the President meant he was do nothing. You bought into the idea that Obama was a big spender, although he has the slowest rate of spending growth since Eisenhower. Reagan increased the debt 189%. Obama? 16%. Deal with it.

Enough said.

Question

If you work for me, and I pay you $25 an hour, and then I come to you and tell you that I have to cut your wages to $20 an hour. A year later I am able to put your wages back to the original $25 an hour.

Did I just give you a raise?

If you said no, please write a letter to John Boughner and Mitch McConnell and tell them that taking the wealthiest 1% back to normal rates is not "raising taxes".

Thank you.

Forward

After the election my Dad posted on Facebook:

"If you picked the wrong horse in the race, get over it and move on."

Easier said than done for many people. After the election Tuesday night, many people are bewildered and confused. There are many bitter people out there. And more than a few of them work where I work. They are totally caught up in their FOX News/Rush Limbaugh bubble that they actually believe that they and the rest of the country are of this mind set. It then becomes a huge shock to their system when the rest of the country does not agree. (I am not sure whether it ever sinks in that it is they that are the radical fringe - I suspect not).

More than a few people I work with refused to speak to me this week. My boss - who overall is a wonderful guy - looked at me with anger and contempt all week. It's as though they believe they only get one vote and I get 303 Electoral votes, and it was only me who did this.

But things sound hopeful. John Boughner this week called on the President, saying "This is your time, Mr. President. Let us reach agreements." That sounds very encouraging to me.

The Republicans have spent the last four years with one and only one agenda. Making sure Obama was a one term President. That didn't work. Now, since that didn't work big-time, there is encouraging signs that the GOP wants to get on with the business of the USA.

Let us hope. Boughner will undoubtedly stonewall the President on allowing the wealthiest 1% of our citizens pay their fair share. But maybe he will at least agree to stop subsidizing the five richest oil companies. That would be a start.

On Wisconsin

What the heck is going on over there across the lake? What is going on with you Wisconsinites? First you elect a right wing crazy for Governor that begins dismantling the right to collective bargaining. He understands that the last wall of defense between the wealthy and the middle class is the right to collectively bargain. Since roughly half the state are still somewhat rational, they begin a recall effort to throw this wing nut out. But to no avail. Too many beers, while riding around on Harley-Davidsons. Wait a minute, not enough beers and not enough Harley-Davidsons..for the recall effort failed.

Constipated by all that cheese, the Wisconsiners elected that right wing fanatic wing-nut Paul Ryan as a Senator. He is in Washington at war with the middle class and Seniors. He hates everyone who is not him or a fanatic right wing Tea Bagger.

And then Tuesday night, the state of Wisconsin votes for Barrack Obama to finish the job he started. Talk about schizophrenia. And yet it continues!

Also Tuesday night, Wisconsin elected the first openly gay Senator to be Paul Ryan's counterpart.

So, let's see.....

Elect Right Wing Governor bent on dismantling the middle class.
Recall said Governor and miss the recall by a narrow margin.
Enjoy right wing goofball Paul Ryan as a Senator in Washington.
Vote for President Obama.
Elect Paul Ryan's counterpart - the first openly gay Senator.

Folks, I'm scratching my head. What is going on over there?

Well at least you gave the Repubs Paul Ryan. I believe little Paulie was big reason they lost Tuesday night. You just can't be this looney-tunes and get into the big house.

The Financial Cliff

Remember Tea Party, you orchestrated this. DO NOT try and put this on the normal Republican Party or the Democrats! You did this, you non-college educated criminal records having Tea Baggers.

My Prediction for 2016.

My Prediction for 2016:

The party gets to Chris Christie and convinces him to get a gastric by-pass. He gets slim and trim and is photogenic. They convince him it is his time.

Hillary Clinton has resigned as Secretary of State now. I think she will rest for a year and then begin her plans to run for President.

2016: Democrat Hillary Clinton vs. Republican Chris Christie.

Chris Christie wins big time. His theme song is "Thunder Road".

Whitey's Last Stand

Months ago, my friend Bill first coined the term "Whitey's Last Stand". I don't know if it's his term or he picked it up somewhere. But I think that is what we witnessed last night. Whitey campaigned masterfully and in 1959 would have won handily. But this ain't 1959 and the Romney camp ended up failing miserably, even though they thought they were running the perfect campaign. And they did. For another era.

America is changing and evolving. America is getting browner. America is sneaking more Spanish words into our language. America is gaining more young people, more minorities, more people of color, and more people of different cultures. My Republican friends, you need to recognize a few things, or you will forever lose the party of Lincoln.

So if there ever was what seemed to be Whitey's Last Stand it was last night. Does this mean that an old obtuse white guy will never be President? Maybe.

I suspect that the GOP is today scrambling figuring out why a nearly perfect campaign failed. I predict they will come out swinging in a much more vibrant way in 2016.

But I worry about the Republican Party. There is a faction out there that truly believes that the normal, moderate, willing to work out compromises must go. They believe that America really subscribes to an extreme right wing agenda. The Republican Party has the Tea Party's hand at their throat and they are afraid to do anything about it. Please John Boungner, throw these idiots out of your party of integrity. Yes, it may mean short term losses, but it will mean long term gains.

We need the GOP back. We need the rational, normal, compromising, understanding, willing to work together Republicans back. With the two parties, working together many great things were accomplished. But since these Tea Party idiots have gotten involved, our country is at a stale-mate. Hopefully last night was the beginning of the end of the Tea Party.

In a nutshell.

Why is it that the New England states are so enlightened this election night and the deep south isn't?

Racism.

Thank you and good night.

One More Day

One more day. A day we have to stop blatant attempts to suppress voters, and one more day before we can re-elect the President and get on with the business of healing this country. The big question is, will racism win out and will the Congress continue to stonewall all of the President's attempts to do good for the nation? Or will they finally shrug their shoulders and decide it's time to get on with the business of the USA?

And another question is, if it's incredibly close in Ohio, will we have the outcome by Wednesday morning? The Repubs have been known to steal Presidential elections, you know. That is the scariest part - that they won't take the loss well. So will they drag the inevitable out for days and weeks, and maybe even months?

In 2000 the election was decided by a partisan Supreme Court. Even though there is absolutely no authority given to them to do this in the Constitution. Same with the impeachment of Clinton. What exactly is a "high crime or misdemeanor"? The Founding Fathers gave examples: Treason, etc. So the whole escapade making Clinton's actions somehow worthy of an Impeachment was total conjecture. My point being that ours is far from being a perfect system. There is always room for improvement.

We must stop letting the Repubs make it up as they go along. But for now, let's get through this one more day.

A Tight One

The Attorney General in Ohio today tried to rig this election like the AG in Florida did in 2000. Hopefully this will be shot down on Monday morning in a court at 9:00 am.

Here's the deal. There are more Democrats than Republicans. Naturally. Most of us are working people. So the Republicans know that the only way they can win is if a lot of folks can't vote. And this is an Eleventh hour shot at rigging the election.

Romney has run a masterful campaign. Lies, arrogance, and "facts" that turn out to be lies. Meanwhile his tax records remain secret, as well as most other true facts about him. And yet people accept this without flinching. This is racism, pure and simple. My friend Bill Murgan spotted it years ago, when the Congressional Republican stonewalling began, but I didn't want to believe it. But folks, if Obama insisted on having this much secret, you'd be having a field day.

Sadly, because of one lack-luster debate performance, this has become a tight race. I do hope that some of the Ohio Romney supporters I've seen online forget to vote. One proclaimed that he was a "atheist Muslim". Seriously. Do these people get to vote?

By The Way

I am predicting here and now that the Republican Party will insist that Chris Christie of New Jersey get a gastric by-pass, he will get slim and trim and they will run him in 2016 and sadly he will defeat Hillary Clinton.

Springsteen and Cancelations

Bruce Springsteen once sang about Sandy, on the 4th of July, on the Jersey shore. The Hurricane Sandy came ashore in New Jersey and New York this past week causing all kinds of devastation to the Eastern Seaboard. President Obama had to forego campaigning and attend to his day job. To his credit, Mitt Romney also cancelled campaign stops to put together a phony photo op. But that's another story.

The President, with sadness, said that the election next week will take care of itself. He then went about the business of being President. He felt he had to do the job he was elected to do.

The President has done the job he was elected to do every day that he has been in office.  I am so proud of him. He was stoned-walled by the John Boughner/Mitch McConnell racism that declared "Our number one priority is to ensure that Barrack Obama is a one-term President." Not to look out for the interests of America. Not to look out for the interests of their constituents. To get the black man.

But the President went about the business of being President. And that included praising Republican and vocal critic of the President Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey for putting his "heart and soul" into working for the people of New Jersey. Governor Christie also praised the President for his handling of the Sandy situation. That, my friends was refreshing.

My wife is an independent. Recently a friend of mine acknowledged that the reason he didn't like Obama is because he's black. "No black man should have that much power." That sealed it for my wife. She will take great relish in canceling out his vote.

What's Trump again?

Donald Trump is in serious medical crisis, and just because he's rich, the media gives him a free pass. This week Trump announced he had a big announcement that was going to alter the whole election. The "Announcement"? That Donald Trump would give 5 million dollars to the charity of President Obama's choice if Obama would release his college transcripts. Really Don? How about 10 bucks and 4 hookers that agree to also marry a Mormon, if you release your tax records?

Mr. Trump, you have been slipping for some time, and you have serious medical issues. Please seek medical help. Your mind is failing. Please do this before you absent-mindedly open a Trump Tower Casino or something in Greenville, Michigan.
Thank you.

Let's Talk About Republicans

The Republican Party is in a tough position. They have every kook in the nation signing on and claiming to be Republican and therefore giving their kooky ideas the Republican stamp of approval. The Republicans are being held hostage. They totally understand that these crazy right wing goof balls have them by the throat. They would love to just throw them out. That might return some sanity to Washington. But they can't because they know the crazies (who don't have the balls....I mean "intestinal fortitude" to form their own party) if they did indeed form their own coalition, would take votes away from traditional (sane at least) Republicans.

The Tea Baggers, as they have lately been known, are the epitome of "a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing." They knew just enough to get elected - even though many are not college graduates and more than a few have criminal records - and now are dictating dangerous policy that even Boughner and Martin Milner....I mean Mitch McConnell are helpless to usurp.

The Tea Bag numbskulls negotiated a crazy deal a while back that would allow the debt ceiling to be raised. They would agree, only if it called for unprecedented cuts in spending. Even though this meant cuts in defense. They were all for it. Now... they want to blame their recklessness on the President.

Folks, our military is more powerful than the next 26 biggest countries combined. And 25 of them are our allies. Seriously, how many more tons of TNT for every man, woman, and child on the planet do we need?

So what is the Republican Party to do? They have shut down Congress for 4 years because of their blatant racism, but once The President wins his second term, are they still going to keep Congress closed?

By the way Reagan raised the debt ceiling 17 times. George W. Bush? 7 times.

Just sayin'........

Tonight's Debate

There are three major events all happening at once on TV tonight. The Detroit Lions are on Monday Night Football, The San Francisco Giants vs The St. Louis Cardinals in deciding game seven, or the Presidential debates. I am going to opt for baseball.

The reasons are simple. The Lions will find an embarrassing way to choke and lose in front of a national audience. President Obama will kick Mitt Romney's ass because Mitt "would do this and that" while having no real intel and the President will answer based on true facts real intel and nobody else really knows that. Still in the end it will be declared a tie. Tough to beat a pretty boy with a DJ voice Barrack. Even if you are smarter, more knowledgeable, and more informed. You still have that....black thing. But San Fran, can you, will you do it?

Most of the time Detroit has been in the World Series they have faced the St. Louis Cardinals. Just one of those weird things. But wouldn't a Detroit/San Francisco series be nice?

Debate, this time around.

President Obama decided to show up at the latest debate this time and he came on with his A game. He beat Romney this time. Not but an overwhelming edge, but beat him soundly. This is a real race again. This week's soundbyte is Romney's "Folders of Women" line. Funny, but not hysterical.

Romney accused the President of not calling the recent Libyan attack a "terrorist act" quickly enough. I guess the next day in the Rose Garden was too late. But we were still gathering intelligence Governor...if he would have speculated before having all the facts, you'd of had a field day with that. But I was heartened to see Obama detractors posting the transcripts from the Rose Garden speech on Facebook. First of all, it's practically poetry. Secondly, although he talks about "terrorist acts" and later "this terrible act", he assumes we can connect the dots. Most Romney supporters cannot. Thirdly, and most importantly, this splitting of fine hairs tells me they are scared.

I feel most confident today - more than in a while - especially after reading an in-depth study of how polling numbers are compiled - that Obama is going to win.

But he must keep plugging. We don't want it close. They will steal the will of the American people if it's close. Witness 2000.

The Average Joe

So after Joe Biden bit Paul Ryan's ass last night, it seems the Repubs want to cry foul. Apparently Joe interrupted. Apparently Joe might've been off on some of his facts. Wow.

In the first Presidential debate Governor Romney broke every rule of debate, interrupting, speaking out of turn, often taking that last word when it wasn't his to take. And he told 27 lies in 35 minutes, even disavowing the economic plan he's campaigned on for 15 months.

Biden was accused of laughing too much. Folks, the crap that falls out of young wing-nut Ryan's mouth is so naive, untrue, back peddling, outrageous....yeah, sometimes it's funny. Ryan was disavowing the stimulus money and Biden pointed out that Ryan had begged for his share citing that it would create jobs and stimulate growth.

If one single thing is costing Romney this election, it's Paul Ryan.

I'm Glad You Didn't Wager

The Debates Wednesday night proved a couple things. 1. Truth doesn't matter. Pacing does. All of my friends who are complaining about the incompetent moderator (hey JL, time to put a gun to your head), and the ones who complain about honesty ( I know, Obama was the only one telling the truth) let me just say IT DOESN'T MATTER! The truth doesn't matter. The fact that Romney told 27 lies in 35 minutes doesn't matter. The fact that it is perceived by the media (that apparently Romney likes this week) that Obama "lost" is the only thing that matters.

2. Romney did an excellent job of controlling the pacing. Obama tried to slow it to no avail. Romney pivoted very well. Romney was asked a question about taxes and answered a fictitious question about Jobs. And when answering about Romney about JOBS Obama never once mentioned the fact that Massachusetts was 47th in job creation under Romney's watch. Should have.

Hey, Barrack, check him on his fallacies. If you need to, make stuff up. Obviously the media doesn't care.

The Upcoming Debates

Watch for Republicans to be ecstatic this week on Thursday morning after Wednesday nights first Presidential debate. Romney will move up a few points in the polls.  It always happens. If he doesn't move much at all, or falls back to current levels in a week, put it fork in this one. It's done. But I suspect he will get a slight boost.

Romney has had a lot of practice all spring and summer. Each week the Republicans staged a fake debate in order to keep their names all over the media and to be the talk of the airwaves. As soon as it started to die out, there was another one. CNN, a Fox News wannabe, dedicated roughly four hours of analysis the next day after each debate. Funny, the radical fringe wasn't complaining about the mainstream media then. While their faces are plastered all over NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, etc., they are content with the media. However, if there is a fraction of a second dedicated to the President, they cry foul. And it seems to me the media is listening.

Romney tends to gaff big time when he goes off sound byte, so that could happen. My big concern is with the President. And my concern is at three levels. First, he always assumes the public is smarter than they are. He acts as though, "of course, no one really believes that hog wash." But they do, Mr. President. He needs to attack their false claims head on. Secondly, he is too modest about his accomplishments. He needs to overcome his modesty and blow his own horn. And make it heard coast to coast. Lastly, he needs to stay on point and not ramble which he has an occasional tendency to do.

But I'll bet you ten thousand Obama drives the final nail in the Romney campaign Wednesday night.

the News

I have said more than once: "FoxNews is to political commentary what the WWE is to sports. It might be fun, it might be interesting, but you ain't supposed to take it seriously."

NBC: A Woman was hit by a car.

NPR: A Woman was hit by a car leaving behind 3 children.

FOX: Obama kills woman.

media

FOX-News was actually complaining today that the "mainstream media" (aka anyone who isn't a purveyor  of right wing fanatical Republican propaganda) are doing more than ever to get Obama re-elected. Seriously? This is the "mainstream media"'s most blatant Republican love fest I ever remember. This morning on Good Morning America" they started with the fact that the President is pulling further ahead in battleground state polling and then quickly switch to 4 minutes on following Romney.

My wife says, "But they do that for every challenger. They did it last time for Obama." Last time both Obama and McCain were challengers. It was a lot more balanced.

Finally CBS did a "60 Minutes" segment with the President. But everything else has been all Romney. It is so despicable.

The Shape We're In

If Paul Ryan cared as much about being in shape mentally as he is physically, he'd be a Democrat.

There Is No Liberal Media.

There are many great myths in America. The Big 10 play the best football in the nation. Labor Unions, not corporate greed, have ruined business.  Social Security is an "entitlement." But perhaps the greatest of all is that there is a "liberal media."

Ronald Reagan somehow made the word "liberal" a dirty word. Liberals now have even taken to reverting to the word "progressive" to distance themselves from the term "liberal." Even though liberals are the only ones that have ever accomplished any forward movement in this country.

Anytime any reporter or agency reports a fact that puts conservatives in a poor light their knee-jerk reaction is to start shouting "liberal media" thereby attempting to attack the credibility of the reporter or agency. When mainstream media reports something favorable for conservatives there is a deafening silence.

If anything, the media should be labeled "the right wing media" or at least "the conservative media." First and foremost, there is the Republican propaganda machine pounding out Democrat hatred 24/7. It's called FOX news. Progressives have no equivalent.

The radio and TV dials are clogged with Limbaugh, Hannity, Matthews, Glenn Beck, O'Reilly, on and on. Some liberal media, huh? There's not a single liberal voice on the dial. These guys are free to do whatever they want, like label women that don't agree with them as "whore". And apparently that's okay. At least they are not the dreaded "liberal media."

Here's a case in point. ABC's "Good Morning America" during the Republican National Convention was a virtual love fest with Romney, Ryan, and all the other speakers. Clips of speeches, stories about the convention, personal stories of delegates etc. Every day. This week it was supposed to be the Democrat's turn. Or it would seem. Tuesday morning GMA played a one second sound byte of Joe Biden and then there was roughly a 4 minute plus "rebuttal" by Paul Ryan. Really? There had been no Biden rebuttals the week before! The following day there were actually a few clips of highlights of Michelle Obama's speech. But the whole time, there was a ribbon at the bottom of the screen proclaiming "Obama slipping in the polls." Coincidence? By the way, today Obama is back up in the polls. But ABC failed to report that.

NPR - the supposed bastion of liberalism (so labeled by people who've never listened to it), last Friday from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm were in a total love fest with Romney following the convention. Tonight from 5:00 - 7:00 pm, after the Democrats convention it was all about a new terrorist group that has been added to our "black-list." And this is following one of the most moving speeches in recent history that occurred only hours before.

And here's another thing: the media are doing their darndest to establish a form of "race warfare." During the Republican Convention every time any of the News outlets showed faces in the crowd, they were always white. Real white. Every time during the Democratic Convention they showed people in the crowd, they always showed black people. Even though most of the convention center was filled with white people, we saw only the black. The media is trying to send a clear message: this is white vs. black.

A recent TIME magazine's cover was a thoughtful pose of photogenic Romney. NEWSWEEK had the President on it's cover, with the big title: Obama, it's time to go. Or some such derogatory thing. So if you happen to be pro-Obama, where are you going to get your inspiration for the week?

Don't be fooled by the myth of "liberal media." It does not exist and hasn't since Air America left the airwaves. I suppose they didn't show the proper amount of hatred for the middle class to sustain themselves.

This week NBC's Meet The Press will be devoted entirely to Mitt Romney. ABC's This Morning will be entirely devoted to Paul Ryan. Will these show dedicate a whole show to President Obama or Joe Biden? Nope.