"I WON" = WE PAY

Someone ought to teach this Democratic Congress how to get a horse to stop (pull in the reins and say “whoa”) or how to stop a car (press on the brakes) or a runaway train (pull on the break lever). Someone ought to get a competent Chesley Sullenberger-type to land the broken “jet-of-state” safely. We are like lemmings heading to the edge of a cliff and getting closer everyday. We are like turkeys with our heads up and our beaks open during a sudden downpour.

We are on the verge of disaster, and when confronted by House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) about giving tax credits to people who don’t pay taxes, our new President Barak Obama says, “I won. So I think on that one I trump you.” Huh???

Exactly how to fix our broken economy seems still to be unclear to all experts, but last I looked, the word “stimulus” means “something that arouses and excited to activity.” As I said earlier

(http://a-big-bang.blogspot.com/2009/01/will-bush-bashing-remain-our-press.html),

the proposed stimulus package put together without any Republican input (not that they've shown more sense; they voted for the first package) contains so much pork that Congress ought to add that to the fart bill they’ve suggested for cows!!!!! I’m not sure who is passing that murderously horrific gas, and I think it’s coming from Pelosi, Reid, & Co.

I have one question about several aspects of the bill. HOW DO THESE PROPOSALS STIMULATE THE ECONOMY TO RESTORE NATIONAL FINANCIAL HEALTH?

$726 million for afterschool snacks
$50 million for the NEA (National Education Association)
$200 million for work on the National Mall—including grass
(deemed too expensive during the boon years)
Many other millions for contraception, Medicare, Head Start, nurse training, student loans.

I AM NOT SAYING THESE ARE NOT WORTHY CAUSES; I’M SAYING THESE DO NOTHING TO JUMPSTART THE ECONOMY.

The original package was supposed to deal with the base problem—the mortgage crisis. Where’s the money for that? And how is that money being spent?

The American public is being DUPED AGAIN so that President Obama can say he got a lot done in his first one hundred days? What is this Congress thinking?

politics politicians review opinion Washington Congress Obama Pelosi Reid Cantor stimulus "stimulus+bill" "I+won" Medicare snacks contraception Mall grass nursing NEA loans housing "financial+crisis" Democrats Republicans "100+days" bills

THE WHITE HOUSE'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE--FROM OBAMA WHAT YOU HEAR IS NOT WHAT YOU GET

Isn't it a pity that the official White House website, a site activated at 12:01 PM on January 20th, already breaks President Obama's first proclamation "A National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation." There are several instances of Bush bashing, but the statements on Hurricane Katrina are the most egregious. Knock Mr. Bush and pat yourself on the back seemed to be the real order of the day.

“President Obama will keep the broken promises made by President Bush to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. He and Vice President Biden will take steps to ensure that the federal government will never again allow such catastrophic failures in emergency planning and response to occur.”

“President Obama swiftly responded to Hurricane Katrina. Citing the Bush Administration's "unconscionable ineptitude" in responding to Hurricane Katrina….”

Reconciliation????? Renewal?????? As President Bush said to the well-wishers upon his return to Texas, he returned with the same values he left with, and he could look himself in the mirror. One minute after taking office, President Obama ought to be ashamed.

Obama elections inauguration Bush Washington politics opinion "White+House" "White+House+website" Bush-bashing Texas proclamations renewal Katrina Senate

WILL BUSH-BASHING REMAIN OUR PRESS' NATIONAL PASTTIME?

Even as Barak Obama and his slobbering fans prepare for his coronation, the Bush haters cannot let up one iota. I expect to see Chris Matthews begin to shake—this time from Bush-withdrawal syndrome rather than from arousal caused by Barak Obama. Earlier this week, the Bushes were slammed for spending money (from a private fund set up for that purpose) on new State china. The economy is bad, so this cost is extravagant. Did I hear anything about toning down the inauguration because of its extravagance?

This morning I watched sections of CBS’s Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. One segment dealt with inauguration speeches. Presidents from George Washington forward were mentioned for their good or bad speeches, their brief or lengthy speeches, their memorable or forgotten lines or for any other number of reasons. Neither picture nor mention was made of George W. Bush. Another segment dealt with how presidents age in office as they deal with the stress. Guess who was omitted. To CBS, President George W. Bush doesn’t exist, and the sooner CBS can deny his contributions in any way, the better.

The press has been having at blast at delivering parting shots. George W. Bush cannot even say that there are things he would have done differently without getting slammed! His farewell address was torn apart by these ravenous dogs. Editorial pages are filled with opinions on President Bush's "failed" presidency. He's been called the worst president in history.

Called the messiah by at least one famous idiot, Barak Obama, I suppose, will never take a wrong turn leading us out of the wilderness. He’s not the Moses some have compared him too; he's better. Moses made mistakes and never got to the Promised Land. Nor is Obama the Lincoln he compares himself to. Lincoln's focus was on preserving the Union; Obama’s is to alter it.

Sunday Morning even tossed some comments about the transition team President Bush organized to make sure Obama does not come into the White House as he did. Remember? He came into a White House trashed by the departing Administration. Not only did Clinton and Hilary take “souvenirs” but also their staffs wrecked computers and removed the letter w from keyboards, carved messages into the desks, and left graffiti. Taxpayers paid for the damages, and the departing First Couple got a pass.

President Bush made sure that President-elect Obama was fully briefed on what is going on around the world. His staff was given “worse case scenarios” and went through the procedures, etc. that would be followed in a variety of situations. Even as Mr. Obama talks about dismantling much of our intelligent gathering possibilities, President Bush leaves him a country that has not been attacked since the horrific events of 9/11. President Bush should be applauded and recognized for his actions. Let’s pray Obama continues to safeguard us.

While members of the media continue to deride President Bush, partly I fear to give our new President a cushy landing, I’m wondering when the honeymoon will end. Will it be when the truth about some of his appointees becomes more apparent? (Treasury Secretary Geithner’s failure to pay $34,000 in taxes is, in Obama’s words an “innocent mistake.” Attorney General Erik Holder’s supporting pardons for FALN terrorists and financial swindler Marc Rich doesn’t seem to bother him either.) Will it be when so many of his unkept and always unkeepable promises dash the hope of those who voted for him? Will it be when the country wakes up to the biggest pork barrel (nicknamed the stimulus package) ever rolled out of Congress without any Republican input but pushed by Pelosi, supported by Reid and branded ok by Obama? Is the press just too stupid to get it and the American public too mesmerized to demand it?

I’ll be glad when I no longer get anti-Bush “jokes” in my email. I will not miss the constant unfair criticism and disrespect. I will love not having Americans go abroad to knock my president or my country. I also wish Obama to succeed in keeping America safe and great. I want him treated with the respect the office deserves. I have my fingers crossed, but honestly, I don’t have much hope.

politics politicians opinion "political+opinion" election 2008 inauguration Obama Bush presidents "Bush-bashing"

REPEATED WARNING ABOUT FUEL TAXES

Go back to June
(http://a-big-bang.blogspot.com/2008/06/gas-taxes-is-governments-cash-cow.html)
and July http://a-big-bang.blogspot.com/2008/07/more-on-our-gas-woes-dont-expect.html
when I warned about Congress and states working themselves into a lather about raising gas taxes. They just didn't have the nerve during the election period.

Now that Obama is safely awaiting his inauguration and gas prices have stopped causing holes in our government-evaluated deep pockets, they feel it's time to act. It will come quickly.

BTW, the fall in gas prices coincided with George Bush's pronouncement that we SHOULD drill offshore. AFTER that announcement came the news about a change in our driving habits.

My biggest problem is that it appears I underestimated the extent to which the government is willing to steal from us. $.10 doesn't quite meet their needs, so we should start buying those little jars labled "gas money." Start saving now.

Not only that, there is the move to put GPS devices in cars to tax us additionally on milegage. Several states are considering it now. But here's the scoop: They will decide it is too much invasion on privacy because your destinations might be tracked. How to get around that? When you have your car's yearly inspection, a tax will be levied on the odometer readings. The ACLU will breathe a sigh of relief and we will follow like lemmings to our financial demise thinking the government is looking out for our rights.

And a final note. Thank you Gov. Corzine. The gas stations on the Jersey Turnpike are Lukoil--Russian owned. Nothing like supporting U.S. Yeah, nothing.

JUDGING DEMOCRATS: ONE MORE BLUNDER AS BILL RICHARDSON TRIPS UP AND OUT

The news about Bill Richardson's withdrawal as the Secretary of Transportation calls for some serious thinking about how to judge Democrats.

1. Remember the transistion from Bill Clinton to George W. Bush. The Clintons themselves ransacked the White House taking with them everything they wanted that wasn't nailed down. Their staff wrecked the computers, stealing the W keys, and carving obsene messages in the desks. The offices were a mess and had to be redone--AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE.

George W. Bush, on the other hand, created a Transition Coordinating Committee. Security Clearance was started months ago so that key positions could be filled ASAP. Remember that as late as 9/11, some Bush appointees had not been cleared. Apparently President Bush will conclude his terms as President with the respect the office deserves. Character counts when we judge a person.

ON THE OTHER HAND...

2. Barak Obama, haunted, if only by saavy voters, by his associations, continues to be shielded by the media as his appointees and past label him a political opportunist. Fighting his lack of experience, he choses Bill Richardson as Transportation Secretary. Here's a double whammy: experience and Hispanic. BUT Richardson is embroiled in a Federal investigation of his own, and the press has once again chosen sides.

There is no widespread reporting that the company that donated $100,000 normally donated to Republicans so was less likely to suddenly shift to donate to Bill Richardson-affiliated organizations. Nor are there reports that the multi-million state contracts went to this company--Los Angeles based. I'm sure the taxpayers of New Mexico are pleased with that.

3. Perhaps we should consider ourselves lucky because more important than this Federal Investigation is that Richardson was in the running for President. Once again a politician has publicly proven that personal gain is far more important than public good.

4. Harry Reid, our leading Senator, doesn't like the smell of tourists in the summer. He represents us smelling, nosy, folk!

5. Harry Reid, our leading Senator, publicly states that the Senate can seat (or not seat) anyone it chooses for no stated reason even if the person meets the Constitutional requirements. How's that for Chutzpah! We'll see how he reacts to Roland Burris.
politics commentary Demorcrats Bush Obama Clinton transition "political+appointee" Richardson Reid Burris Senate Congress government president

NEW YORK TERROR WARNING--NOT THE FIRST

Somehow the Bush-haters are so mindlessly addicted that they are incapable of ceasing and desisting even as the President enters his final days in office. He was lambasted for attended the economic summit in Peru; dimwitted utterly contemptuous op-ed columnist Gail Collins called for the President to resign (after VP Cheney resigns) and simply hand over the government to Nancy Pelosi (ugh) until Messiah Obama takes command of the ship of state; even a numbskull Colorado State University newspaper editor cost his paper $30,000. in advertising after printing a “F**k Bush” column. He, at least, has been asked to resign. I’m still receiving not-funny anti-Bush slams from a woman who gets her “facts” from the Huffington Post, the Daily Kos, and bathroom walls.

I look at the President in a different way although his second term was hardly up to par. The United States, unlike many countries around the world, has not been hit with any more attacks. Under President Bush, we have been kept safe.

Read these excerpts from an Associated Press release, November 26th:
…
NEW YORK – Police bolstered security in subways and trains Wednesday after the government warned that al-Qaida suicide bombers were contemplating an attack on New York's mass-transit systems during the holiday season. An internal memo obtained by The Associated Press says the FBI has received a "plausible but unsubstantiated" report that al-Qaida terrorists in late September may have discussed attacking the subway system…A Pakistani immigrant was arrested and convicted for a scheme to blow up the subway station at Herald Square in 2004. There was also a planned cyanide attack on the subways by al-Qaida operatives that authorities say was called off in 2002; another aborted al-Qaida plot to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge in 2003; and a plot to bomb underwater train tunnels to flood lower Manhattan, which was broken up in 2006 by several arrests overseas.

How many foiled plots were there of which we are not aware? Under President Bush’s watch, we have not had a repeat of 9/11 even as the ACLU, activist judges, anti-warmongers as well as members of our own Congress have sought to limit or eliminate our ability to gather intelligence or punish those who have sought to destroy us. Fifty of the released “unfairly treated” prisoners of Guantanamo have been re-captured as they’ve tried to kill American military.

It will be interesting to see how our next President deals with Guantanmo and the scum imprisoned there. No country wants to take them because they are exactly what they appear to be. Let’s leave that to see what develops.

Meanwhile, thank you President Bush, for working hard to keep us safe.

news opinion politics "political+opinion" terror "New+York" subways 9/11 Bush Obama Collins Cheney Pelosi "Colorado+State" "Huffington+Post" "Daily+Kos" President "Associated+Press" immigrants "Herald+Square" al-Quaida "Brooklyn+Bridge" ACLU Guantanamo Congress judges

PUNISH LIEBERMAN?--ANOTHER NEGATIVE FOR THE DEMOCRATS

There’s no doubt that the Democrats think they know what’s best for us. Joe Lieberman’s constituents returned him to the Senate despite efforts by the Democrats to block this Dem-turned-Independent from gaining re-election, the Dems want to punish Lieberman for voicing his honest opinion and supporting McCain. This is also despite the fact that Lieberman remains a registered Democrat and primarily aligns himself with the Democratic Party. But Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., doesn’t think that’s enough. He doesn’t want Lieberman “rewarded” for his defection even though Lieberman already holds the Chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He was good enough before the election but somehow falls short now? Apparently the continued abandonment of the idea of merit remains for the Democrats.

One would think that the members of Congress have no responsibility to act according to the wishes of the voters who put them there. It’s about them and not about us, or in this case at the very least about the voters who returned Lieberman to the Senate. The Democratic leadership apparently feels nothing about their rights, wishes, or representation. It’s about consolidating Democratic power so theirs is the only voice heard. That’s pretty scary.

Ironically the only argument I’ve heard against punishing Senator Lieberman is that it goes against Obama’s pledge of bi-partisanship and therefore might alienate some of his supporters and that might cause Lieberman to bolt and join the Republicans. The latter argument is so in line with the Democrats because they don’t seem to work on principle. Lieberman is simply not in step with many of the Republican views; they’re accusing him of doing what they do—compromise principles in order to get ahead. That’s pretty scary.

The Republicans, of course, would welcome Joe Lieberman to the GOP caucus. It’s in a shambles and lacks direction. Someone who can actually take a stand and articulate it well would be welcome addition. They certainly did not have that in John McCain.

If he plays his cards right, Joe Lieberman can wield a lot of power and influence in the new administration. As both sides vie for his vote, he may be able to make political deals to do some real good. Wouldn’t that be a nice result for Congress for a change?

Lieberman Congress election politics opinion "political+opinion" Obama Democrats Republicans Senate Leahy Vermont McCain "Homeland+Security" "Not+With+A+Whimper" "a-big-bang"