Regardless of your political persuasion, you have to admit two things:

1. Republican leadership over the past four (yes, 4) years has been nothing less than abysmal. Every one of them sold out their supposed “ideals” and the country is in horrible shape thanks to them. They DESERVED to lose in a very big way, and it’s impossible to feel sorry for them.
2. Senator McCain ran a pathetic and non-competitive campaign, never showing any passion or vision at all. He was completely out-enthused by the freshman senator, who ran a brilliant campaign, and NOBODY can possibly believe for a second that McCains heart was in it. Watching the debates and the TV commercials, it almost seemed to me as if he was throwing the election.

That’s why I was excited to hear that the USGA is going to be revamping the rules, in an effort to make the game more enjoyable for the rest of us who arent “lucky” enough to be really good at it.

The final rules aren’t complete, but here are a few glimpses of what’s coming. I can’t wait until summer!
Golfers with handicaps:
- below 10 will have their green fees increase by 35%
- between 11 and 18 will see no increase in green fees
- above 18 will play for free and even get a check from the club/course played

The $ amount put in for bets will be as follows:
-for handicaps below 10 an additional $10
-between 11 and 18 no additional amount
-above 18 you will receive the total amount in the pot and you do not even have to play.

The term “gimme putt” will be changed to “entitlement”
and will be used as follows:
-handicaps below 10, no entitlements
-handicaps above 11 to 17, entitlements for putter length putts
-handicaps above 18, if on green, no need to ever putt, just pick it up

These entitlements are intended to bring about fairness in scoring so that the final scores of all players will be about the same.

In addition, a Player will be limited to a max of one birdie and/or six pars, any excess must be given to those fellow players who have not yet scored a birdie or par.

Only after all players have received a birdie or par from the player making the birdie or par, can that Player begin to count his score again.
The current USGA handicap system will be used for the above purposes but the term “net score” will be available only for scoring those players with handicaps 18 and above.

This is intended to “redistribute” the success of winning by making sure that in every competition the above 18 handicap players will post only “net score” against every other player’s gross score.
These new Rules are intended to CHANGE the game of golf.  Golf must be about Fairness Only, it should have nothing to do with ability, or luck or anything else. We have to level the playing field here…

Maybe it’s a necessary evil in an effort to raise conservation awareness, but the fact that the tape was removed repeatedly makes you scratch your head. If he really believes in it, then so what?  Why not come out and say so?  Corporations need t opay more for their power so they’ll be more energy concious. What’s the problem with letting the world hear you say that if it’s what you believe?

Spreading the wealth may not be a bad thing, and I admire him for admitting to Joe the Plumber that he wants to do that.  In the same way he told john McCain in the second debate that “affordable health care should be the right of every US citizen” Obama he took a stance that clearly differed with McCain (who said it was a responsibility, not a right) and that helped define who the candidate is.

I for one, am VERY disappointed that there weren’t more debates, and I hope once Senator Obama is elected he can be free to stop hiding his opinions form those that would call him a Socialist.

It’s clear the Repubrocrats couldn’t get the job done,  and deserve to lose control of the House and Senate, and noe the Presidency. Do you think the Democrats will just sell out too now, or might they actually say what they mean, mean what they say, and get the job done, making this a fairer nation for all?

Anyway, when it came time to leave, our check was almost $14, so I left her just two dollars as a tip, and a note that said I was giving her other dollar to the homeless guy outside with the dog and the shopping cart full of cans.

I have to admit I felt pretty good giving this guy a dollar. He clearly needed it worse than she did, and he was very appreciative.

In the past I would have tipped 20% and likely not have given the homeless guy anything, but since the dollar came out of her pocket and not mine,  I think I understand it all much more clearly now, and I’m starting to look forward to an Obama presidency.

Now less than a week before the election, I’m watching his infomercial and his tax plan had suddenly shifted to define the rich as only $200,000 a year income.

Wow, that’s  a 20% decrease in jusrt a few short weeks. Is that because he’s realized that unless he raises taxes on those people making from $200k - $250k is suddenly needed for some reason? Does he think we won’t NOTICE the different stance?

Even more amazing, yesterday, VP candidate Joe Biden told a Scranton, Pa., TV station yesterday that Obama’s tax break “should go to middle class people – people making under $150,000 a year. (according to Democracy Forum)

I find this shift in position amazing - not that it shifted, because I think everyone KNEW he’d be raising taxes more than he claimed, but that he’s chosen to verbalize it now, and with no explanation.

Mark my words, if McCain wins, it will be partially because of this radical (and needless) redefinition of what makes someone “rich”.

Why didn’t he just lie to us and raise taxes anyway like every other candidate does? My theory is that he’salready thinking about re-election in 2012, and doesn’t want to have the “read my lips - no new taxes” achilles heel, so by changing his position now, he can say he broke no promises.

Dear Fellow Business Owners:

As a Business owner who employs 30 people, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barack Obama, will be our next President, and that my Taxes and Fees, will go up in a BIG way.

To compensate for these increases, I figure, that the Customer, will have to see an increase in my fees to them of about, 8%. I will also have to lay off 6 of my employees.

This really bothered me as I believe we are family,here and didn’t know how to choose who will have to go. So, this is what I did.

I strolled thru the parking lot and found, 8 Obama bumper stickers on my employees cars. I have decided these folks will be the first to be laid off.

I can’t think of another fair way to approach this problem. If you have a better idea, let me know. I am sending this letter to all Business owners that I know.

Sincerely,
Ward
JOOA Corp.

Notice to All Employees

As of November 5, 2008, when President Obama is officially elected into office, our company will instill a few new policies which are in keeping with his new, inspiring issues of change and fairness:

1. All salespeople will be pooling their sales and bonuses into a common pool that will be divided equally between all of you. This will serve to give those of you who are underachieving a “fair shake.”
2. All low level workers will be pooling their wages, including overtime, into a common pool, dividing it equally amongst yourselves. This will help those who are “too busy for overtime” to reap the rewards from those who have more spare time and can work extra hours.
3. All top management will now be referred to as “the government.” We will not participate in this “pooling” experience because the law doesn’t apply to us.
4. The “government” will give eloquent speeches to all employees every week, encouraging it’s workers to continue to work hard “for the good of all.”
5. The employees will be thrilled with these new policies because it’s “good to spread the wealth.” Those of you who have underachieved will finally get an opportunity; those of you who have worked hard and had success will feel more “patriotic.”
6. The last few people who were hired should clean out their desks. Don’t feel bad, though, because President Obama will give you free healthcare, free handouts, free oil for heating your home, free food stamps, and he’ll let you stay in your home for as long as you want even if you can’t pay your mortgage. If you appeal directly to our democratic congress, you might even get a free flat screen TV and a coupon for free haircuts  (shouldn’t all Americans be entitled to nice looking hair?) !!!

If for any reason you are not happy with the new policies, you may want to rethink your vote on November 4th.

I first posted about this a few weeks ago, and with the resentment most Americans are feeling right now towards the Bush administration, and the press on his side, teachers and school kids on his side, and even many lot of Republicans on his side, the fact is that Senator Obama should win this election by a landslide.

Here’s the short version…

His failure to crush this issue where it sits could end up costing Democrats this election. don’t you think he owes it to the American public to shut it down?

The guy bringing this lawsuit claims he’s a lifelong Democrat, and I’m not sure he’s being truthful, but the point is, that this issue needs to go away, and only Senator Obama can make that happen. This is just plain ridiculous.

What if things were switched around? Think about it. Would the  country’s collective point of view be different? Could racism be the  culprit???? this most certainly must be a rhetorical question!]

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, following the debate, including a three month-old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his college graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five?
(The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if Obama couldn’t read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to publicly display a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama’s family had made their money from beer distribution?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected a reality, if the tables were turned, do you really believe the election  numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative characteristics in another when there is a color difference.

And, think of this - the candidates’ educational backgrounds:

Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.

Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin: Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Education isn’t everything, but this is about the two highest
offices in the land as well as our standing in the world.

You make the call.

Over 1.6 million people have already seen it, but that’s not enough, and the election looks like it’s pretty much over, with McCain going to get smoked pretty badly.

If I knew a way to archive it, I’d put it here permanently, because I think our country is headed into the toilet at full speed ahead.

Let me be clear - It’s NOT just the Democrats or even the Republicans that are at fault, it’s all of the corrupt politicians on both sides, that actively pushed these policies, and the ones that passively stood by and allowed this to happen are just as guilty.

People on both sides of the aisle should be going to prison over this, but you know Goddamn well they wont. We the American people are the ones that pay…

Is it hard to believe that people can really be this stupid? Not to me, but then I spent a long time in the retail management field dealing with the public…

For cryin’ out loud, the debate last night was horrendous. What a bunch of pre-packaged bullshit. These guys should have to anwer real questions, and multiple depates from moderators on both sides of the political fence should be manadatory. Do either one of them have a flippin’ clue at ALL about how fed up we all are? do they even care? Isn’t there any passion or anger on either one of their parts?

I’d never recommend not voting, but how can we really all be asked to put our faith in either of these two guys, who don’t even seem to understand simple principles of marketing?

I’m SO disgusted.

See this? -  It’s the trend since the spring of people located in the United States that have been searching for the phrase “moving to another country” - Wow, that’s an eye opener, isn’t it?  (source - Google Insights)

I was tempted to reply back with a link to this next video, which I actually do find a little bit disturbing, but also pretty far from “Witchcraft” as the left seems to be portraying.

Frankly this whole race is pretty disgusting, our country in really bad shape, and all anyone wants to do is point fingers at the other side instead of getting together and fixing it.

One thing that struck me while reading the NY Times recently is that the news that China and Mexico are stopping the subsidization of gas prices did not seem to be much big news in the gas price news world.

It seems to me that the fact that people in China and Mexico will now have to pay 2 to 3x what they are paying now will have a HUGE downward effect on the demand for oil.  I could be wrong, but look to see the oil price plunge in the next few months.

Don’t get too happy though.  The supply will keep going down and demand from population growth will keep going up, so gas prices will continue to rise long term.  We need to do what we can to replace oil NOW!  Buying a gas saver car is just the beginning.

1.) Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W.. R. Grace Co. Will merge and become:
Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.

2.) Polygram Records, Warner Bros.,  And ZestaCrackers join forces and become:
Poly, Warner Cracker

3.) 3M will merge with Goodyear and become:
MMMGood

4.) Zippo Manufacturing, AudiMotors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining Will merge and become:
ZipAudiDoDa
5.) FedEx is expected to join its competitor, UPS, and become:
FedUP.

6.) Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become:
Fairwell Honeychild

7.) Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become:
PouponPants

8.) Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women Will become:
Knott NOW!

According to reports, prominent Pennsylvania Democrat and attorney Philip J. Berg filed suit in U.S. District court nearly two months ago, by claiming that Obama is not a natural-born U.S. citizen and therefore not eligible to be elected president. - Fine - Fair enough, now just SHUT HIM UP by disproving this ridiculous assertion!

He even says that if the candidate will simply produce authorized proof of citizenship, he’ll drop the suit, so what’s the flippin’ problem? Why have lawyers for Obama and the DNC filed a joint motion to dismiss Berg’s lawsuit? Is that really easier than just proving that his birth certificate is legal? Why risk it?

Says Berg - “I’ve been on about 50 radio shows around the country, and on every one I’ve put out a challenge: Barack Obama, if I’m wrong, just come forth with certified copies of these documents and I’ll close down the case.”

Despite assertions by the Washington Post, FactChecker.org and other organizations that Obama has actually produced a certified birth certificate from Hawaii, Berg says he remains “99.99 percent sure” that the certificate is a fake. He wants a court, not a website, to determine its validity, and that REALLY doesn’t seem unreasonable.

Sounds like an easy way to shut him up would simply be to verify his birth, doesn’t it? Am I wrong? NOW, I’m getting suspicious, to be honest. Is there truth to this seemingly preposterous claim?

Look at the comments by people on this Digg post. The rabid partisans are seizing upon this in a big way, and all Obama has to do to shut them up would be to verify the damn document, yet they don’t - WHY?

And, giving the candidate the complete benefit of the doubt here, lets say his hospital birth records were destroyed by a fire, and levels of burocracy and red tape, and Homeland Security or whatever are making verification take forever, then FINE. Just SAY SO, and address the issue!

I’m sorry, but this really stinks badly. Even if it’s patently untrue, the appearance of impropriety is out there, and the damage has been done. Whomever made the decision to fight this instead of simply disproving it should be fired.

Reference Story

We actually had to rewind the DVR to hear him say it again because I thought I heard incorrectly. I couldn’t wait until it was time for Sarah Pailin to respond, because I thought she was going to stand up for some sort of principles, but she didn’t.

Unfortunately there was no camera on Sarah Palin’s face to see if she even heard it, but I was completely stunned when she let it slide by completely.

I’m sorry, but what country are we living in again?

Joe Biden believes that the court should be able to come in and renegotiate not only the terms of the loan but the actual amount of the loan is for in the first place? Are you serious?

The fact that Mrs. Penguin ignored this completely tells me that she either didn’t hear it, or that the Republican Party has lost all will to live completely, and she was instructed not to, because it’s a safe bet that she doesn’t believe that personally.  We seem to be acquiescing to the lowest common denominator in our country.

Another question I would like to have seen asked, was “How do you define the wealthy?”

Clearly this matters where you live, and nobody has yet brought up the fact that you cannot possibly raise a family of four on $250,000 if you live in New York City or San Francisco. Yet they are supposed to be wealthy?

How about, “what should that top tax level be?”

How about, “Why not continue to tier the tax levels beyond $250,000?”

Are we really calling anyone that makes more than a quarter million dollars a year “the super wealthy”? That’s absurd, and the fact that nobody mentioned it is just pathetic.

If we are going to continue the progressive tax system, I believe the tax rates should have additional brackets, perhaps over the 2 million mark, over the 5 million mark, over the 10 million mark, and so on.

Whose place is it to say how much someone “needs”?

The “needs” of someone in suburban Montana are quite different from those elsewhere,  but if we are going to have a progressive system then it damn sure needs to continue to “progress” far further than a quarter million dollars a year, and much farther past 375k like George Bush has it now.

Why should the top tax rate max out where it does, if a progressive system is what were using? Why has nobody called bullshit on this?

While I do believe that at some point you may “have enough money”, the fact that someone who makes one million dollars is taxed at the same maximum rate as someone who makes 10 million or 100 million is completely absurd - (unless of course you buy into the radical philosophy that all Americans should pay the same flat rate, like I do, with a reasonable minimum where you just pay nothing)

But then that would do away with all of the bureaucracies in red tape of the IRS and the accounting profession combined,  and we can’t have that can we?

This is a very sad time in American politics, and for the American people in general.

Who would be a better Vice Presidential candidate for Republicans than Sarah Palin? I ask with all sincerity.

This candidate supports her president, her future boss with a loyalty that has been lacking in previous administrations.

For the democratic party to complain about the “old boy network” in Washington D.C., and then, in the next breath complain about the supposed inexperience of the VP candidate, seems rather hypocritical.

Why am I for John McCain?

1. He had the outright political balls to pick a VP candidate that was who he wanted. Period!

2. He served his country as a soldier for decades, including spending five years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, and never betrayed his comrades.

3. John McCain has a proven dedication to his country and what is in the best interest of it’s citizens.

4. The senator from Arizona has years and years of experience working to solve America’s challenges, including working closely with those across the aisle in congress, including Hilary Clinton .

5. McCain has an energy policy that is practical and includes the need to free ourselves from our dependence on foreign oil, right now, solving numerous geopolitical challenges that have plagued our nation for decades. McCain’s energy policy is practical, solving the immediate threat to our national security from that dependence, as well as developing alternative fuels and renewable energy for the future.

6. John McCain understands the struggle with extremists and terrorists. The threat to America’s safety and our future from extremists and fundamentalists throughout the world is not a new problem. The next president understands this threat and is prepare to do what is necessary to ensure the safety and security of Americans.

There are many more reasons I support the Republican candidate for president and his VP choice, but these would be the top six reasons for my choice.

Barack Obama, while a very likeable fellow, does not have the experience running anything. Change? Change is wonderful. But what are we changing? I watched the Democratic convention and I still don’t quite have that answer.

End the war? That’s not likely to happen for years, even during an Obama presidency. And, why would you want to end the job before it’s done? This job needs to be done. I want to be safe! I want my family to be safe. I think we need to protect ourselves from people who hate us only because we like to listen to rock and roll music and say what we think without having to worry about it.

We have ideas that the whole world should be free. We believe in the rights of each individual to do as he or she pleases as long as it does not threaten the common good, public safety, and so on.

Republicans want government out of our lives and our business. For several years, long before the contract with America in 1984, the conservative platform was built around the idea that government has a limited role, including national security and helping the truly needy. Thats all. Otherwise, the government doesn’t really have much we need them to do.

When did the political parties start inheriting the parts of the others platforms that seem to appeal to the middle? It really seems like Democrats and Republicans are so much the same, supporting whatever side of the issue seemed popular at the time.

I think that happened during the Clinton years, when whatever way the wind seemed to be blowing at the time was what the administration supported. On the other hand, Clinton was as good at reaching out to Republicans to get the job done as Reagan was and I think John McCain and Sarah Palin will be in working with those in the other party.

The bottom line is this. The presidency of the United States of America is a job. I want to hire the most qualified, experienced, proven candidate that I have to choose from.

The bookmakers in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, a few days ago anyway, have Barack Obama as a heavy favorite to win the general election on November 4th, 2008.

But, my money’s on John McCain and Sarah Palin!

In my opinion the presidential election is simply a marketing campaign. Whoever gets their message to appeal to the widest number of people in the middle, is going to win. There’s a committed last and committed right that are firmly set in their ways and could not be swayed under any circumstances to vote for the other party.

However, I believe that the vast majority are in the middle, and would be willing to listen to rational arguments from both sides and make an intelligent decision from there.

I would sure love to know the thought process behind McCain picking his running mate. One of the huge advantages he may have had over Obama was his experience. Now he’s chosen a one term governor, who was previously the mayor of a small town. Is she really qualified to be the first person in line for the presidency, and if something happens to currently 72-year-old John McCain.

Sometimes political campaigns make the absolute stupidest mistakes, and I just can’t help thinking that this is one of them.

A helpless young man, wearing sandals, shorts, and a ‘Bush Lied’ T-shirt was screaming while struggling frantically, thrashing around trying to free himself from the jaws of a 10 foot grizzly.

As the Pope watched horrified, a group of loggers came racing up. One quickly fired a 44 magnum into the bear’s chest. The other two reached up and pulled the bleeding, semi-conscious tree-hugger from the bear’s grasp.

Then, using long clubs, the three loggers finished off the bear and two of them threw it onto the bed of their truck while the other tenderly placed the injured tree-hugger in the back seat.

As they prepared to leave, the Pope summoned them to come over. “I give you my blessing for your brave actions!” he told them. “I’ve heard there was a bitter hatred between loggers and environmental activists, but now I’ve seen with my own eyes that this is not true.”

As the Pope drove off; one of the loggers asked his buddies, “Who was that Guy?”

”It was the Pope”, another replied. “He’s in direct contact with God and has access to all God’s wisdom.”

“Well”, the logger said, “he may have access to all God’s wisdom but he sure doesn’t know crap about bear hunting!

By the way, is the bait holding up or do we need to go back to Eugene and grab another one?

This is a pretty funny video, that’s not leaning either to the left or to the right side of the political spectrum…

It’s just funny

Right now, the welcome mat is out for analysts who claim that out-of-control speculators are responsible for $4-a-gallon gas.

I confess to seeing OReilly mention it enough, that I’ve believed it too, and so have a lot of people in this country…

Somewhat surprisingly, Republicans have been at least as willing as Democrats to denounce evil speculators. But it turns out that conservative faith in free markets somehow evaporates when it comes to oil. For example, National Review has been publishing articles blaming speculators for high oil prices for years, ever since the price passed $50 a barrel.

Reading this article opened my eyes to some other possibilities, and this country really needs to develop some renewable power sources before we’re paying $10 a gallon, which is undoubtedly coming. Read the entire article and see what else might be to blame…

Now, with the benefit of plenty of preparation time, can someone please add some accomplishments here as comments? What has he DONE to deserve to be President? Not what he’ll promise, not what he’ll “inspire” but what has he actually accomplished so far? Surely in his term as US Senator, he must have done something, right? So… what?

]]> http://www.politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/politics/obamas-accomplishments/feed/ http://www.politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/religion/islam-the-religion-of-peace/ http://www.politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/religion/islam-the-religion-of-peace/#comments Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:02:02 +0000 Mr. Koolaid http://www.politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/religion/islam-the-religion-of-peace/ This video pretty much speaks for itself. It’s rather long, but worth looking at to see what we may be up against…

>>>

The next time you hear a politician use the word ‘billion’ in a casual manner, think about
whether you want the ‘politicians’ spending YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of it’s releases.

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let’s take a look at New Orleans…
It’s amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D)  is presently asking Congress for 250  BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans.

Interesting number… what does it mean?

A. Well… if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.

B. Or… if you have one of the 188,251 homes in  New Orleans, your home gets  $1,329,787.

C. Or… if you are a family of four, your family gets  $2,066,012.

Washington, D. C  < HELLO! >  Are all your calculators broken??

• Accounts Receivable Tax
• Building Permit Tax
• CDL License Tax
• Cigarette Tax
• Corporate Income Tax
• Dog License Tax
• Federal Income Tax < BR>Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
• Fishing License Tax
• Food License Tax
• Fuel Permit Tax
• Gasoline Tax
• Hunting License Tax
• Inheritance Tax
• Inventory Tax
• IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
• IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
• Liquor Tax
• Luxury Tax
• Marriage License Tax
• Medicare Tax
• Property Tax
• Real Estate Tax
• Service charge taxes
• Social Security Tax
• Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
• Sales Taxes
• Recreational Vehicle Tax
• School Tax
• State Income Tax
• State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
• Telephone Federal Excise Tax
• Telephone Federal Universal Service Fe e Tax
• Telephone Federal, State and Local Su rcharge Tax
• Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
• Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
• Telephone State and Local Tax
• Telephone Usage Charge Tax
• Utility Tax
• Vehicle License Registration Tax
• Vehicle Sales Tax
• Watercraft Registration Tax
• Well Permit Tax
• Workers Compensation Tax

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt. We had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.  What happened?
Can you spell ‘politicians’?

And I still have to press ‘1′ for English.

Talk about putting your most valuable where your mouth is! Apparently this was not “newsworthy” enough for the media to comment about. Can either of the other presidential candidates truthfully come close to this? … Just a question for each of us to seek an answer, and not a statement.

You see…character is what’s shown when the public is not looking. There were no cameras or press invited to what you are about to read about, and the story comes from one person in New Hampshire.

One evening last July, Senator John McCain of Arizona arrived at the New Hampshire home of Erin Flanagan for sandwiches, chocolate-chip cookies and a heartfelt talk about Iraq. They had met at a presidential debate, when she asked the candidates what they would do to bring home American soldiers - - soldiers like her brother, who had been killed in action a few months earlier.

Mr. McCain did not bring cameras or press. Instead, he brought his youngest son, James McCain, 19, then a private first class in the Marine Corps about to leave for Iraq. Father and son sat down to hear more about Ms. Flanagan’s brother Michael Cleary, a 24-year-old Army First Lieutenant killed by an ambush … a roadside bomb.

No one mentioned the obvious: In just days, Jimmy McCain could face similar perils. ‘I can’t imagine what it must have been like for them as they were coming to meet with a family that ……’ Ms. Flanagan recalled, choking up. ‘We lost a dear one,’ she finished.

Mr. McCain, now the presumptive Republican nominee, has staked his candidacy on the promise that American troops can bring stability to Iraq. What he almost never says is that one of them is his own son, who spent seven months patrolling Anbar Province and learned of his father’s New Hampshire victory in January while he was digging a stuck military vehicle out of the mud.

Two of Jimmy’s three older brothers went into the military. Doug McCain, 48, was a Navy pilot. Jack McCain, 21, is to graduate from the Naval Academy next year, raising the chances that his father, if elected, could become the first president since Dwight D. Eisenhower with a son at war.

I chose to share this with those who I believe will pass it on, to others who will pass it on. We hear so much inflated trash out there. How about a simple act of kindness … and dedication to others placed above oneself?

Has anybody heard if Barack Hussein Obama has served in The American Armed Services?

This is for all you Barack voters.

From Barack’s book, Audacity of Hope:

“I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.”

HE DID NOT SAY STAND WITH AMERICANS!!!

>>>end>>>

Huh! did Obama really write that in his book? Has anyone read it and can they cite what page it’s on?

Ahh, this blog says this…

The actual quote from the book is from page 261 and is as follows: “Of course, not all my conversations in immigrant communities follow this easy pattern. In the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense of security and belonging.They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific reassurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.

So, I guess it’s sorta true?

A recent study conducted by Harvard University found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year.

Another study by the American Medical Association found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year.

This means, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon.
Kind Of Makes You Proud To Be An American.

DOOR NUMBER ONE: BARACK OBAMA

Here is a man that insists on ‘change’ in the way Washington does politics.  He wants to change the system with new, young and fresh blood.  The only problem is that the man is a ‘walking contradiction’ (thanks Kris).

He is partly deception and ‘partly fiction.’  They say you can judge a person by who he associates with.  Well Barack’s first endorsements came from: Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Dick Durbin, Chris Dodd, John Rockefeller, Tom Daschle, Bill Richardson and it is hinted Jimmy Carter may join the club just to mention a few.

Where in that group is anything but old school liberal wing Democratic politicians?  The more disturbing associations are Jeremiah Wright, Louis and Farrakhan, Malcolm X.

These are no Martin Luther King, Jr. protégés.  So what we are getting with Mr. Obama seems to be an extremely left-wing liberal Democrat with the Black Militant undercurrents.  Have you noticed how determined his supporters seem to be?

Chris Matthews tells us he doesn’t know about Obama, but when he went to an Obama campaign rally he ‘felt a tingle go up his leg’.  Well now that’s special.  Just what we need, a President who sends tingles up our legs.  Bill Richardson is not much better.  He doesn’t know, there is just something about him.  That’s nice.  He’s ‘Special’.

They also tell us that most of Obama’s supporters are from 19 to 29 year olds.  Well now that’s just dandy.  If the 19 to 29 year olds are so smart, mature and knowledgeable about who should be our president then we should make all our college professors, corporate CEOs, judges, school teachers, attorneys and doctors from 19 to 29 year olds.

What a ‘Great Society’ that would be. Oh I forgot somebody already tried the ‘Great Society’.  I think he was an Ultra Liberal Democrat.  Not that there is anything wrong with that!  But they just lost two recent elections (granted both were stolen.)
So if you want a black militant social war and all our institutions run by 19 to 29 year olds then by all means vote for Obama.  I understand Michelle will be leading the charge and be his chief advisor.

DOOR NUMBER TWO: JOHN MCCAIN

So you don’t like the black revolution/war then how about Big John?  Big Bad John will not only start a war with Iran but the rest of the Muslim world as well.  Did you notice Senator Lieberman hanging on to his arm and whispering in his ear?

He says he used to be a Democrat.  The only problem with him is that he is in the wrong legislative body.  With his Foreign Policy agenda, he should be in Israel’s Legislature not ours.  The man votes pro Israel every time.

He wants to kill as many Muslims as he can before they kill any more Israelis. Dah!!!  Have you checked his voting record on the Iraq war, warrantless wiretaps, Guantanamo, torture of Muslims and his 99% voting record to support the Bush Agenda?

No thank you to another four years of the Bush Doctrine - kill, rob and destroy – (we can now add torture to the list.)   He will get McCain to do the same.

DOOR NUMBER THREE: HILLARY CLINTON

As she has said, which part of the 90s did you not like the Peace or the Prosperity???

Some say she is not qualified. I would venture to say that she knows on a personal basis more members of Congress (both houses) along with half the governors and their families on a first name basis.  She probably has shared coffee and family pictures with most of them.

She probably has campaigned for most all of the Democratic ones for sure – yes including Barack Obama.  I understand she went to Illinois and met the family, campaigned for him there and then came back with a picture of the Obama Family which I believe is still in her office.

So we can see that on a personal level she could probably get along with most congressional leaders just fine to promote a peace and prosperity agenda.  Let’s consider, probably what is, her greatest asset - Bill Clinton!  Why???

Let’s say you’re a novice small commuter jet pilot and you have to fly a 747 out of the path of an impending Tsunami.  However there are several problems.  Three of the engines are out; the fourth is running at 80% capacity.

The good news is that there is a guy on the plane who help build and test flew the 747 many years ago and quit flying about eight years ago - but he still knows how to fly.  Do you want that guy sitting in the co-pilots seat in case of another catastrophe?

Or would you rather have the other option; a novice pilot who just graduated two years ago from pilot school and has never even flown a 747 but he says he can fly us out just fine with making a few ‘changes.’  Let’s get real.

If Hillary ever needed any assistance what better advisor could any Democratic President have at their disposal?  What kind of question, issue or crisis could come up in the white house that Hillary would not have at her beckon call Bill Clinton.

Have not all presidents, except maybe Wonder George (‘w’ for short) called upon former presidents for consultation regarding a crisis?  Hillary would have one very, very successful and talented one living with her.

Bill Clinton is the very asset that will make Hillary two, three or even four times more prosperous and productive a president of the United States Of America than Bill Clinton.  No offense Bill.  This is an undisputable fact and even Bill knows it.

In the words of the great LBJ, ‘my fellow Americans’ the choice is simple - Hillary Clinton with her staff, consultants and advisors simply must be the next president of these United States of America or God help us all for nobody else will.

THE CRITICAL FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED:

• The National debt is at an all time high.
• The U. S. Dollar is at an all time low.
• Oil is at an all time high $114.00 per barrel.  (of course if the U.S. dollar was worth more than 50 cents that would make oil only $55.00 a barrel.
• The home mortgage business has just collapsed.
• We are spending in excess of $3,000,000,000.00 per week in Iraq.
• Produce and dairy products just went though at least a 20% to 30% increase.
• 401Ks and IRAs are off about 20% to 30%.
• Medical costs are exorbitant and unaffordable to most Americans.
• Unemployment is drastically rising - 60,000 last month. Etc, etc, etc,

The preceding article arrived unsolicited in this editors mailbox, bearing a name and phone number that could not be verified. If you’d like to claim credit, simply comment…

He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA), designer jeans (MADE IN SINGAPORE) and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA).

After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet(MADE IN INDIA) he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO) to see how much he could spend today.

After setting his watch (MADE INU> TAIWAN) to the radio (MADE IN INDIA) he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY) filled it with GAS (from Saudi Arabia) and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.

At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his Computer (Made In Malaysia) (with tech support in INDIA), Joe decided to relax for a wh ile.

He put on his sandals ( MADE IN BRAZIL) poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA), and then wondered why he can’t find a good paying job in… AMERICA….

A 20 room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool ( and a pool house) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2400. In natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not situated in a Northern or Mid-western’s snow belt area. It’s in the South.

House # 2
Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. This house incorporates every “green” feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground.

The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.

HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville , Tennessee ; it is the abode of the “environmentalist ” Al Gore.

HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford , Texas; it is the residence of the President of the United States , George W. Bush.

An “inconvenient truth.”

You can verify it at: http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/house.asp

1. You have to be against capital punishment,

<<Hey Cons, waaaaay too too costly. Thought you Con(men) didn’t believe in government waste.

but support abortion on demand.

<<Hey, Cons, you think the right to choose, the right to PRIVACY, should be infringed? Hey Cons, choose NOT to have one.

2. You have to believe that businesses create depressions

<<Hey Cons, they do. Look around your myopic world. Read a newspaper. Without adequate regulation we get what we have now. How’s that economy working for you Bushie-con?

and governments create prosperity.

<<Hey Cons, didn’t the Pentagon CREATE the Internet?
And NASA create TANG? to name just a few in this wide range.
Isn’t BLACKWATER International and Halliburton doing pretty good last time we checked too.

3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more
of a threat than Nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Iranians and North
Korean communists.

<<Hey Cons, name me one American that harmed by a North Korean nuke? No? Didn’t think so.
<<Hey Cons, you want a list of the thousands of people that die every year from gun violence?
<<Hey Cons, how many of those guns STARTED in the hands of “law-abiding Americans.”

4. You have to believe that there was no art before Federal funding.

<<Hey Cons, isn’t ones life is supposed to be a “work of art” why deny Art is important to life?

5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical documented changes in the earth’s climate

<<Hey Cons, yes, climate change does occur, over thousands of years, not over two hundred, SEE answer below.

and more affected by soccer moms driving SUV’s.

<<Hey Cons, why do you think global warming is a hoax? Answer: Cons don’t believe in science either.

6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial but being homosexual is natural.

<<Hey Cons, why do you think someone would CHOOSE to be part of a reviled, hated minority? People of color have no choice.

7. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.

<<Hey Cons, it is because of the cuts to funding prevention, LOL, you could look it up!

8. You have to believe that the same teacher who can’t teach fourth graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.

<<Hey Cons, sex is healthy.
<<Hey Cons, why do you cling to your guns and religion?

9. You have to believe that hunters that pay for wildlife management don’t care about nature, but loony activists who have never been outside of San Francisco
or Portland do.

<<Hey Cons, We hope they ALL do.

10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.

<<Hey Cons, Huh?

11. You have to believe that Mel Gibson spent $25 million of his own money to make “The Passion of the Christ” for financial gain only.

<<Hey Cons, duh, Gibson is a sado-masochist torture freak who DID make MILLIONS on this torture flick.

12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.

<<Hey Cons, read a book, the ACLU supports and defends the ENTIRE Constitution.

13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

<<Hey Cons, do all CONS work for banks? ATM fees ROB people blind, and are WAY too high

14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and A.G. Bell.

<<Hey Cons, Huh? Liberals and Progressives can’t admire these inventors too?

15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.

<<Hey Cons, a wee bit of compassion here. After 270 years of slavery and 80 years of segregation, a little help isn’t untoward. Is it?

16. You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is normal and is a very nice person.

<<Hey Cons, She is a Wellesley College and Yale Law School graduate. No, she’s not normal.

17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn’t worked anywhere it’s been tried is because the right people haven’t been in charge.

<<Hey Cons, Corporate socialism is happening here in the US. Don’t get your Larry Craig panties in a bunch. We’ll get to your fascism one day soon.

18. You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and a sex offender belonged in the White House.

<<Hey Cons, I forgot, everything is Clinton’s fault. Oh man, sex offender? Conservatives can begin a war, kill thousands of people and wreak havoc with the economy but get a blow job? For Conservatives it seems to be the blow jobs are being given mano on mano. That’s OK. But a real man getting a blow job WHILE he’s working? Because he’s TOO BUSY WORKING to stop?I want that MF’n multi-tasker working for me.

19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying transvestites in drag should be constitutionally protected,

<<Hey Cons, you guys are dodo birds, truly (Cons also soon to be extinct because of the way they think), it is called the first amendment.

and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

<<Hey Cons don’t YOU believe in the Constitution? They should be off … if they’re on government property. Delusions shouldn’t be approved on my tax dollar.

20. You have to believe that illegal Democrat Party funding by the Chinese Government is somehow in the best interest to the United States.

<<Hey Cons, what? Prove it

21. You have to believe that this message is a part of a vast, right-wing conspiracy.

<<Hey Cons, it is. You don’t see these types of Goebbels like propaganda pieces from free, progressive, forward thinking liberal. Why? Because we have facts, history and truth on our side. We don’t need a Nazi-type propaganda machine to fool simpletons. Too busy for that.

22. You have to believe that it’s OK to give Federal workers the day off on Christmas Day but it’s not OK to say “Merry Christmas.”

<<Hey Cons, this one is new, is it due to that wacko Bill-O?

This happened to me recently after a particularly trying day. I said, “Jesus, why do people work so hard?”

And I got this reply: “Men find many ways to demonstrate the love they have for their family and friends. You work hard and earn money to have a peaceful, beautiful place for everyone to gather.”

“But”, I said, “I thought that money was the root of all evil.”

He replied: “No. It is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil. Money itself is a tool; it can be used for good or bad.”

I was starting to feel better, but I still had one burning question:
“Jesus”, I said, “what is the meaning of life? Why am I here?”

And Jesus said: “That is a question many men ask. The answer is in your heart and is different for everyone. I would love to chat with you longer, but for now, Señor, I have to finish your lawn.”

The Americans With No Abilities Act (AWNAA) is being hailed as a major legislative goal by advocates of the millions of Americans who lack any real skills, education or ambition.
“Roughly 50 percent of Americans do not possess the competence and drive necessary to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in society,” said California Senator Barbara Boxer.

“We can no longer stand by and allow People of Inability to be ridiculed and passed over. With this legislation, employers will no longer be able to grant special favors to a small group of workers, simply because they have some idea of what they are doing.”

In a Capitol Hill press conference, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pointed to the success of the U.S. Postal Service, which has a long-standing policy of providing opportunity without regard to performance. Approximately 74 percent of postal employees lack any job skills, making this agency the single largest U.S. employer of Persons of Inability.

Private-sector industries with good records of nondiscrimination against the inept include financial advisors (73%), retail sales (72%), the automotive industry (70%), the airline industry (68%), and home improvement “warehouse” stores (65%). At the state government level, the Department of Motor Vehicles also has a great record of hiring Persons of Inability (63%).

Under the Americans With No Abilities Act, more than 25 million “middleman” positions will be created, with important-sounding titles but little real responsibility, thus providing an illusory sense of purpose and performance.

Mandatory non-performance-based raises and promotions will be given so as to guarantee upward mobility for even the most unremarkable employees.

The legislation provides substantial tax breaks to corporations that promote a significant number of Persons of Inability into middle-management positions, and gives a tax credit to small and medium-sized businesses that agree to hire one clueless worker for every two talented hires.

Finally, the AWNAA Act contains tough new measures to make it more difficult to discriminate against the Non-abled, banning, for example, discriminatory interview questions such as “Do you have any skills or experience which relate to this job?”

“As a Non-abled person, I can’t be expected to keep up with people who have something going for them,” said Mary Lou Gertz, who lost her position as a lug-nut twister at the GM plant in Flint, Michigan due to her lack of discernible job skills. “This new law should really help people like me.”

With the passage of this bill, Gertz and millions of other untalented citizens will finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. Said Senator Ted Kennedy: “As a Senator With No Abilities, I believe the same privileges that elected officials enjoy ought to be extended to every American with no abilities. It is our duty as lawmakers to provide each and every American citizen, regardless of his or her adequacy, with some sort of space to take up in this great nation.”

A website called Wikileaks published leaked documents about a crooked bank, and a US district court judge apparently ordered their domain name (Wikileaks.org) deleted from the DNS (domain name server) by its Californian host Dynadot.

Even MORE amazing, was that it was actually done!

Yeah, never mind the truth of the story, lets shut down the website that supposedly obtained the internal documents in an illegal manner? Are you kidding me?

Fortunately, being smarter than the judge that’s apparently in the banks pocket isn’t that hard. and the site is still up at other domains and IP addresses, here,  here, and here and likely more too. What a naive and pompous jackass this Judge Jeffery S. White is.

Other news stories about this travesty

“The fact that McCain makes short, blunt statements does not make him straight-talker

There are short, blunt lies — and he told a big one on the eve of the Florida primary, when he claimed that Mitt Romney had advocated a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq.

Wow, that doesn’t sound like they’re very happy, does it?

Sowell goes on to say that when he was confronted with a twisted facts about Mitt Romney, “McCain blustered and filibustered in a manner reminiscent of Captain Queeg in “The Caine Mutiny,” when he was caught in a lie during a navy inquiry.

The circus is heating up…

Read the whole thing here

I’ve watched this twice, and I’m sorry, i just don’t get it. I WANT to like him - I WANT to, really. But I’ve yet to hear him utter a single PLAN of ACTION. He’s not responding, he’s complaining. What’s he going to do better?

Listen carefully here, and tell me what he is going to DO? Anything? Nothing? This is total bullshit, sound bytes and talking in circles, isn’t it? The scary part is that a lot of people are going to vote for him! I might too if he would TELL US SOMETHING of SUBSTANCE!

GOP sources tell us that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani plans to drop out and endorse McCain, which would give McCain added momentum heading into a debate Wednesday and next week’s Super Tuesday.

Personally, I think he’s one of the few candidates on the right side (sort of) that have a chance of beating either Obama or Clinton, but I still wish he had the balls to say that the “economic stimulus” plan being considered now is total bullshit.

A single payer system would leave those in the most urgent need of treatment lined up behind averyone else, wouldn’t it? How can we prevent this from happening?

]]> http://www.politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/health-care/single-payer-health-care-system/feed/ http://www.politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/politics/hillary-kfc-cartoon/ http://www.politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/politics/hillary-kfc-cartoon/#comments Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:46:11 +0000 Mr. Koolaid http://politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/politics/hillary-kfc-cartoon/ This is funny, regardless of your political persuasion.

Got links to other cartoons?

An obvious choice can be unnerving. When the apparent perfection of one option or the unspeakable awfulness of another makes a decision seem too easy, it is human nature to become suspicious.

This instinct intensifies as the stakes of the given choice are
raised. American voters know no greater responsibility to their country and to the world than to select their president wisely. While we do not yet know who the Democrat and Republican nominees will be, any combination of the leading candidates from either party will make for the most obvious choice put to American voters in a generatio