DO-NOTHING CONGRESS FINDS SOMETHING TO DO--TOO BAD IT'S THE WRONG THING TO DO

At an August AIDS conference in Mexico City, the U.S. was praised for ending its 15-year-old law banning HIV-positive people from entering the country. But that ban has yet to be lifted by the Bush administration, much to the ire of the usual groups. I’m glad it hasn’t yet been done. The bill had bi-partisan backing—Sens. John Kerry (D), no longer the most liberal Democrat in Congress since Barak Obama arrived on the scene, and Gordon Smith (R) of Oregon. Since then, 58 Dems have written to the President asking him to take “swift action on this issue.”

I guess that’s because the Congress so swiftly reacts to problems facing American citizens-----like the financial crisis brought on by the sub-prime mortgage debacle or the people in the U.S. devastated by Hurricane Ike. (although a bill promptly surfaced to help the people of Haiti)

I suppose the Congress feels HIV should be removed from the list of communicable diseases of public health significance because….That’s where I get stuck. Because….

Granted we know enough to have overcome the unwarranted fears of how HIV is spread, and true, many people innocent of some of the more behavior-prone ways of contracting this horrendous affliction have been infected and may feel unfairly targeted, BUT are we to assume that visitors to this country who are HIV positive will cease being intravenous drug users who share needles, refrain from unprotected sex so they do not spread the disease, tell the people with whom they have relationships that they are HIV positive or refrain from any other kind of behavior that promotes the spread of HIV? Sorry, John Kerry, Gordon Smith, and you additional 58 Congressman. I don’t assume that. I go back to the great line by Felix Unger in The Odd Couple: ASSUME means to make an ASS of U and ME.

We’ve got people in Washington quaking in their boots that someone out there might not like us so they are constantly considering those outside America over the ones they are elected to protect and to serve. Last July 30, President Bush signed into law a five-year $48 billion bill to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis around the world. Those are good intentions, but he should have vetoed the bill because it contained this lifting of the ban. Can you imagine the outcry had he vetoed it? Despite the names he would have been called, he should have used that veto power, and Congress should get its act together and put Americans' best interests first.

Bush politics "political+commentary" politicians "John+Kerry" "Gordon+Smith" senators laws HIV Mexico AIDS Congress "communicable+diseases" "sub-prime+mortgages" "Hurricane+Ike" Haiti sex drugs disease "Felix+Unger" "The+Odd+Couple" Washington malaria tuberculosis

ALL THE NEWS (THEY DECIDE) THAT'S FIT TO PRINT

If you watch TV news, you may have missed this horrendous event. On Wed., Sept., 18, there was an attack on the U.S. embassy in Yemen that left 16 people dead including a newlywed from New York there for an arranged wedding.

This is the same Yemen where 17 American sailors lost their lives in the Oct. 12, 2000 suicide bombing of the U.S.S. Cole.

The AP reported that the militants who launched this latest attack in Yemen are linked to al-Qaida, BUT most news outlets, if they ran the story at all, gave it a necessary inclusion and then let it drop. No follow up. Not even extensive "human interest" coverage of the American woman killed in the bombing. No further discussion of the role of al-Qaida.

We don’t hear much about the war on terror in the news these days. We still hear each time an armed services member dies, but thankfully those numbers are substanially diminishing as the Iraqis take over security their country. We are almost never reminded of that change in military. It's better for the liberals to focus on loss of life and imply it is for a non-cause.

Nor are we reminded that almost all of Congress’ “benchmarks” for Iraq have been achieved. We’re led to believe, through lies of omission, that the War in Iraq continues as it was and that the Iraqi government and people are incapable of governing themselves. There are people out there who want us to become familiar with the word "quagmire" despite its inappropriateness.

How many of you know that Kuwait is no considered a combat zone and those military personnel there can wear civilian clothing and no longer carry weapons?

There is a motive behind this blatant withholding of news. It is the presidential elections. A biased and liberal media wants Americans believing the worst as the presidential election approaches. It keeps us ignorant of the truth. It marginalizes Obama’s steadfast refusal to admit that he was wrong in many of his votes concerning the war despite his agreement that the surge worked “beyond our wildest dreams,” a statement I disagree with as Petraeus & Co. certainly aimed for the results the surge achieved. The withholding of war allows McCain’s steadfast understanding and support of our efforts to fade into the background.

You might say today's top story is the economic picture, and you may have a point, but when the news is full of Caylee Anthony’s disappearance, O.J. Simpson’s trial, Lindsay Lohan's political views while ignoring the fact that Dem. Mark Foley will not be prosecuted for sending sexual emails to teenagers or that Dem. Charles Rangel is still Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee while he doesn’t file taxes, etc., you’ve got to wonder. Could it be that we’re expected to think that corruption only exists on the other side of the aisle? Let’s compare Larry Craig’s (R) wide stance advances to Mark Foley’s (D) coming on to teenage boys.

It’s getting more and more difficult to vote intelligently because of the news “filters” we have. As my magnetized NOBAMA and McCAIN FOR PRESIDENT bumper stickers were stolen off my car, I’ve replaced them with one I bought at the Mark Twain home in Hartford, CT. Twain said it all! The bumper sticker proclaims: MARK TWAIN FOR PRESIDENT (with picture of Twain): IT’S BETTER TO BE POPULAR THAN RIGHT.

al-qaida politics politicians Iraq Yemen Kuwait military war surge news commentary opinion "U.S.+Embassy" bombing suicide sailors "New+York" Americans Obama McCain AP "news+service" congress benchmarks Rangel Foley Craig sex taxes "House+Ways+and+Means" committees "combat+zones" Petraeus Democrats Republicans "Mark+Twain" quotes CT

GOV. DAVID PATERSON--LOOKING GOOD

While there’s no difficulty in finding fault in government and politicians, there are some good things going on as well. New York’s governor, David Paterson (D), is proving to be worth his mettle. He’s good about announcing his legislation, and he’s been doing some good things for New Yorkers. That’s what we expect and what we are entitled to.

Here’s one of several improvements I’ve noticed. On Sept. 5, Gov. Paterson signed legislation to allow pharmacists, once they are state trained and certified, to administer flu shots. This sensible and seemingly small change enormously increases access to the vaccines by virtue of pharmacies' hours and locations. The result should be a healthier winter for many New Yorkers.

On a side note, the bill was sponsored by Long Island Republican Sen. Charles Fuschillo, and that indicates Paterson's willingness to support positive efforts by both sides of the aisle.

Paterson has vetoed 49 bills showing he is not afraid to use his authority when he sees the correlation between budget and policy decisions as they impact local governments and taxpayers. To me that means he is on the right track. New York is a mess, and its state officials on both sides of the aisle, by and large, spend their time bickering over power. If Paterson can pull in the reins on this runaway horse of a legislature he inherited, he can have my vote as long as he wants it.

"New+York" governors Paterson "David+Patterson" health flu vaccines vaccinations pharmacists pharmacy healthcare medicine Democrats Republicans Senate Fuschillo "Long+Island" illness

OBAMA IS A BOTTLE OF SODA POP

Obama is like an ice cold bottle of soda pop on a hot summer day. He glistens in the heat. The glass is wet and your mouth longs for the cool refreshing taste of something bubbling with carbonation, something to tickle your dry tongue, your parched throat, something to break through the thirst you’re experiencing even as perspiration beads on your face.

Go for it! It looks sooooo good. Drink! But consider what's really happening:

You’ve loaded up on sugar—a temporary fix that does nothing healthful for your body. It is empty calories. Worthless.

If you’re a sipper, the fizz dissipates rapidly and you’re left with the real thing—an absolutely flat taste that goes nowhere. It has no life of its own. No energy; no nothing.

If you’re a gulper, the good feeling climaxes quickly and leaves you dissatisfied and full of gas.

In a little while, no matter how you approach it, you’re as thirsty as you were before. You may be closer to tooth decay or weight gain. A sugar high is simply not worth the trouble.

Maybe this analogy doesn’t quite work because there’s one big difference between Barak Obama as president and carbonated, flavored sugar water. You can dump the soda; you’re stuck with Obama for four years!

Obama politics commentary elections Democrats president candidates "soda+pop"