The new Consumer Financial Protection Agency will have the sole job of looking out for the financial interests of ordinary Americans by banning unfair practices and enforcing the rules.

This is a cornerstone in Americas new economic foundation.

In this Weekly Address, the President also explains how he will cover the upfront costs of reform by eliminating overpayments to Medicaid and Medicare and driving down costs contributing to governments health care expenditures across the board.

Cost of a bowl of soup at homeless shelter $0.00 dollars

Having Michelle Obama Serve you your soup $0.00 dollars

Snapping a picture of a homeless person who is receiving government funded meal while taking a picture of the first lady using his $500 Black Berry cell phone $$$$ Priceless

In the course of a life that began in a housing project in the South Bronx and brought her to the pinnacle of her profession, Judge Sonia Sotomayor accumulated more experience on the federal bench than any incoming Supreme Court Justice in the past 100 years, touching nearly every aspect of our legal system. May 30, 2009.

For his next big step, he calls for a credit card reform bill: “Americans know that they have a responsibility to live within their means and pay what they owe.

But they also have a right to not get ripped off by the sudden rate hikes, unfair penalties, and hidden fees that have become all-too common in our credit card industry.” Watch Your Weekly Address to find out what he plans to do about it.

Listing off several specific changes he intends to bring, he describes his guiding principle: “To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative.”

The President also announces two new key appointments, Jeffrey Zients as Chief Performance Officer and Aneesh Chopra as Chief Technology Officer, who will be invaluable in streamlining the way government functions through efficiency and innovation. April 18, 2009.

>>> begin>>>

In Honor of the 44th President of the United States, Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream has issued a new flavor, “Barocky Road.”

Barocky Road is a blend of half Vanilla, half Chocolate, and surrounded by Nuts and Flakes.

The Vanilla portion of the mix is not openly advertised and usually denied as an ingredient.

The Nuts and Flakes are all very bitter and hard to swallow.

The Cost is $100.00 per scoop.

When purchased, it will be presented to you in a large beautiful cone, but then the Ice Cream is taken away and given to the person in
line behind you.

Thus you are left with an empty wallet, no change, holding an empty cone, with no hope of getting any Ice Cream.

Aren’t you feeling stimulated?

>> end>>>

You know, like all good satire, this one has a ring of truth to it too. I’m not interested in giving my ice cream to the guy behind me,  especially when he doesn’t deserve it.

I was in line at the grocery store the other day watching someone in front of my buying all sorts of crappy junk food along with a wrapped package from the seafood department that cost $66.

I’m not sure what it was, but it wasn’t very big, so only a meal’s worth. Probably lobster or shrimp, or some of their $13 a pound halibut that I’d just been drooling over, but didn’t buy.

When he pulled out the state food stamp card I wanted to punch him right in the head.

This was an article from the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper on Sunday. The Business Section asked readers for ideas on “How Would You Fix the
Economy?” I thought this was the BEST idea. I think this guy nailed it!

Dear Mr. President,

Patriotic retirement:

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force; pay them $1 million apiece severance with
three stipulations:

1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings – Unemployment fixed.

2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars
ordered – Auto Industry fixed.

3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

All National financial problems fixed.

But then I did the math, and 40 million people times a million  dollars comes to 40 trillion dollars! Jeez, wake up people!

I’m far from ‘rich” yet by the time I add up all my state, local and federal taxes paid, I’m OVER 50%! That’s  absolutely insane, and it’s no wonder there are so many people trying to defraud the tax system. there’s “fair”, and there’s “unfair”  and it’s time to raise the bar on what we consider to be “rich”.

The TOP  tax bracket should NOT be such a low amount, (high 300k under bush, lowering again with Obama) but instead should continue to another level at 500k,  then 2 million, then 5 million, and maybe even higher.

How can we justify setting it so low?  look at the MAXIMUMS for a married couple filing jointly over the past 8 years -

What the HELL is Obama accomplishing by intending to go back to the pre-Bush rates?  How can this possibly help (or motivate) anyone to be successful?

At this first ever online town hall from the White House, the President answers questions about the economy submitted and voted on by the public through WhiteHouse.gov. Jared Bernstein, chief economist for Vice President Biden, facilitates.

The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.  A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from four days to four  years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years; It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of  the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium’s mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don’t propose a federal budget.  The president does.

You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations.  The House of representatives does.

You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices, 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress.   In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason.  They have no legal authority.  They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing.  I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.
The politician has the power to accept or reject it.  No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault.   They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall.  No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.  The president can only propose a budget.  He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.  Who is the speaker of the House?  Nancy Pelosi.  She is the leader of the majority party.
She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want.  If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted — by present facts — of incompetence and irresponsibility.  I can’t think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.  When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red ..

If the Army & Marines are in  IRAQ , it’s because they want them in IRAQ.

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it’s because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.  Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation,” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.  Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Reportedly, this was written by Charlie Reese, a former columnist for the Orlando Sentinal. and it ended up in my in-box.

As a supplier for the Big 3 this man received a letter from the President of GM North America requesting support for the bail out program.

His response is classic, and has to make you proud of a local guy who tells it like it is…

First, this is the letter he got from GM to which his subsequent response is directed:

Dear Employees and Suppliers,

Troy Clarke - President
General Motors North America

Then, this is the response from: Gregory Knox, President of Knox Machinery Company Franklin , Ohio

Gentlemen:

In response to your request to contact legislators and ask for a bailout for the Big Three automakers please consider the following, and please pass my thoughts on to Troy Clark, President of General Motors North America.

Politicians and Management of the Big 3 are both infected with the same entitlement mentality that has spread like cancerous germs in UAW halls for the last countless decades, and whose plague is now sweeping this nation, awaiting our new “messiah”, Pres-elect Obama, to wave his magic wand and make all our problems go away, while at the same time allowing our once great nation to keep “living the dream”. Believe me folks, The dream is over!

This dream where we can ignore the consumer for years while management myopically focuses on its personal rewards packages at the same time that our factories have been filled with the worlds most overpaid, arrogant, ignorant and laziest entitlement minded “laborers” without paying the price for these atrocities. This dream where you still think the masses will line up to buy our products for ever and ever.

Don’t even think about telling me I’m wrong. Don’t accuse me of not knowing of what I speak. I have called on Ford, GM, Chrysler, TRW, Delphi, Kelsey Hayes, American Axle and countless other automotive OEM’s throughout the Midwest during the past 30 years and what I’ve seen over those years in these union shops can only be described as disgusting.

Troy Clarke, President of General Motors North America, states: “There is widespread sentiment throughout this country, and our government, and especially via the news media, that the current crisis is completely the result of bad management which it certainly is not.”

You’re right Mr. Clarke, it’s not JUST management.

How about the electricians who walk around the plants like lords in feudal times, making people wait on them for countless hours while they drag ass so they can come in on the weekend and make double and triple time for a job they easily could have done within their normal 40 hour work week?

How about the line workers who threaten newbies with all kinds of scare tactics for putting out too many parts on a shift and for being too productive? (We certainly must not expose those lazy bums who have been getting overpaid for decades for their horrific underproduction, must we?!?)

Do you folks really not know about this stuff?!? How about this great sentiment abridged from Mr. Clarke’s sad plea: “over the last few years, we have closed the quality and efficiency gaps with our competitors.” What the hell has Detroit been doing for the last 40 years?!? Did we really JUST wake up to the gaps in quality and efficiency between us and them?

The K-car vs. the Accord?

The Pinto vs. the Civic?!?

Do I need to go on? What a joke!

We are living through the inevitable outcome of the actions of the United States auto industry for decades. It’s time to pay for your sins, Detroit .

I attended an economic summit last week where brilliant economist, Alan Beaulieu, from the Institute of Trend Research , surprised the crowd when he said he would not have given the banks a penny of “bailout money”.

“Yes, he said, this would cause short term problems,” but despite what people like politicians and corporate magnates would have us believe, the sun would in fact rise the next day. and the following very important thing would happen.. . where there had been greedy and sloppy banks, new efficient ones would pop up. That is how a free market system works. It does work if we would only let it work.”

But for some nondescript reason we are now deciding that the rest of the world is right and that capitalism doesn’t work - that we need the government to step in and “save us”.

Save us my ass, Hell - we’re nationalizing, and unfortunately too many of our once fine nation’s citizens don’t even have a clue that this is what is really happening. But, they sure can tell you the stats on their favorite sports teams. Yeah - THAT’S really important, isn’t it.

Does it ever occur to ANYONE that the “competition” has been producing vehicles, EXTREMELY PROFITABLY, for decades in this country? How can that be??? Let’s see. Fuel efficient. Listening to customers. Investing in the proper tooling and automation for the long haul.

Not being too complacent or arrogant to listen to Dr. W. Edwards Deming four decades ago when he taught that by adopting appropriate principles of management, organizations could increase quality and simultaneously reduce costs. Ever increased productivity through quality and intelligent planning. Treating vendors like strategic partners, rather than like “the enemy”. Efficient front and back offices. Non union environment.

Again, I could go on and on, but I really wouldn’t be telling anyone anything they really don’t already know down deep in their hearts.

I have six children, so I am not unfamiliar with the concept of wanting someone to bail you out of a mess that you have gotten yourself into - my children do this on a weekly, if not daily basis, as I did when I was their age.

I do for them what my parents did for me (one of their greatest gifts, by the way) - I make them stand on their own two feet and accept the consequences of their actions and work through it. Radical concept, huh?

Am I there for them in the wings? Of course - but only until such time as they need to be fully on their own as adults.

I don’t want to oversimplify a complex situation, but there certainly are unmistakable parallels here between the proper role of parenting and government. Detroit and the United States need to pay for their sins. Bad news, people - it’s coming whether we like it or not. The newly elected Messiah really doesn’t have a magic wand big enough to “make it all go away.”

I laughed as I heard Obama “reeling it back in” almost immediately after the final vote count was tallied. “we really might not do it in a year or in four.” Where the Hell was that kind of talk when he was RUNNING for office?

Stop trying to put off the inevitable folks . That house in Florida really isn’t worth $750,000. People who jump across a border really don’t deserve free health care benefits. That job driving that forklift for the Big 3 really isn’t worth $85,000 a year.

We really shouldn’t allow Wal-Mart to stock their shelves with products acquired from a country that unfairly manipulates their currency and has the most atrocious human rights infractions on the face of the globe.

That couple whose combined income is less than $50,000 really shouldn’t be living in that $485,000 home. Let the market correct itself folks - it will.

Yes it will be painful, but it’s gonna’ be painful either way, and the bright side of my proposal is that on the other side of it all, is a nation that appreciates what it has, doesn’t live beyond its means, gets back to basics and redevelops the patriotic work ethic that made it the greatest nation in the history of the world. A return to Christian principles, common sense and decency would also be beneficial!

Sorry - don’t cut my head off, I’m just the messenger sharing with you the “bad news”. I hope you take it to heart.

Gregory J. Knox, President

Knox Machinery, Inc. Franklin , Ohio 45005

]]> http://www.politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/politics/knox-letter-gm-bailout/feed/ http://www.politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/war/president-obama-announces-troop-drawdown-in-iraq/ http://www.politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/war/president-obama-announces-troop-drawdown-in-iraq/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:41:50 +0000 Brad http://www.politicalkoolaid.com/weblog/?p=171 In a speech at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, President Obama laid out his plan for responsibly ending the war in Iraq, which will end the combat mission by August 2010.

It’s the end of combat service in Iraq and the beginning of a long and difficult transition to a stable middle east region. Remember that more than 50 years have passed since the Korean War and still there are 20-30 thousand troops stationed there.

It’s an exciting new program that I will attempt to explain to you using the Q & A format:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?
A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgen.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition
TV set, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn’t that stimulating the economy of China?
A. Shut up.

Below are some tips on how to best help the U.S. economy by spending your stimulus check:

• If you spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China.
• If you spend it on gasoline, it will go to the Arabs.
• If you purchase a computer, it will go to India.
• If you purchase fruit and vegetables, it will go to Mexico, Honduras,
• and Guatemala (unless you buy organic).
• If you buy a car, it will go to Japan.
• If you purchase useless crap, it will go to Taiwan.
• If you pay your credit cards off, it will go to bank management bonuses,and they will hide it offshore.
• Same with stock investment.

Instead, you can keep the money in America by spending it at yard sales, going to a baseball game, or spending it on prostitutes, beer and wine (domestic ONLY), or tattoos, since those are about the only “All American” businesses still operating in the U.S.

All kidding aside though, what’s it going to stimulate, and how? Anyone got any specifics, and can point out where it’d not just a boondoggle of pork barrel spending? I’m pretty disappointed…

Not just Freedom, but so much more.

President Obama does truly usher in a new era.

An era that will come to be known as the birth of the 21st century.

“A New Age”, as the President puts it.

Woodward on Obama Transition
MSNBC Decision 08
Excerpt|02:25|
Jan. 20: The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward discusses the challenges Barack Obama will inherit from President Bush.

Notes from President Obama’s Inauguration Speech -

Decline not inevitable
Raise your expectations, people
Expectation will be met
Hope over fear
Unity of purpose
End to petty grievances

All are equal
All are Free
and
All deserve an equal chance

Greatness is never a gift, it must be earned!

The risk takers, the doers, obscure in their labor, carried the path to prosperity and freedom.

Immigrants toiled, struggled, settled the west, fought and died.

Struggles and Sacrificed so that we might live a better life.

Love the speech so far…

We still have something to offer the world, but cannot remain passive!

Begin again the work of remaking America!

(applause)

New Foundation for Growth (I like this one)

The sun and the winds and the soils to run our cars and factories.

Some question the scale of our ambitions.

The ground has shifted beneath the cynics. the same old arguments no longer apply.

Does it work or not?

Restore the vital trust between the people and the government.

The reach of our prosperity. The surest route to our common good!

No choice between our safety and our ideals!

(Bush is sitting there thinking “Damn, this is a good speech”)

Ready to lead once more!

The faith and determination of the American people.

(the people are so quiet, wow! I heard there’s over 2 Million people stacked in the Mall in Washington. Oh, they are cheering now. Now back to quiet)

President Obama tells the American people about Valley Forge.

With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents…
George Washington

(the above text has been paraphrased in some instances)

This is one of the best speeches I’ve ever read or heard. Enough said.

“We can’t keep doing things the old way” is another groundbreaking statement too, isn’t it?
This video is simply an announcement of a new cabinet member appointment of someone “unencumbered by old thinking” - I guess the fact that the guy is also from the Clinton administration doesn’t constitute “old thinking”? Or maybe it still does, but this guy just has the brain power necessary to not allow himself to be… “encumbered”?

Point number two, “making states use their money quickly” seems sort of stupid to me. “Use it or lose it” can lead to bad decisions, in my opinion, and unless you’re going to dictate HOW they use the funds, telling them to spend it fast sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Point three - connecting schools to the internet hardly seems controversial either, but it might be nice to explain HOW this is going to be paid for, don’t you think?

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.

Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 7 people steering and 2 people rowing.

Feeling a deeper study was in order; American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion.

They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.

Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team’s management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 2 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 2 people rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the ‘Rowing Team Quality First Program,’ with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rowers.

There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses. The pension program was trimmed to ‘equal the competition’ and some of the resultant savings were channelled into morale boosting programs and teamwork posters.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid-off one rower, halted development of a new canoe, sold all the paddles, and cancelled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses.

The next year, try as he might, the lone designated rower was unable to even finish the race (having no paddles,) so he was laid off for unacceptable performance, all canoe equipment was sold and the next year’s racing team was out-sourced to India.

Sadly, the End.

Here’s something else to think about: Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can’t make money paying American wages.

TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US. The last quarter’s results:

TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.

Ford folks are still scratching their heads, and collecting bonuses.

IF THIS WEREN’T SO TRUE IT MIGHT BE FUNNY!

The New Bailout Strategy:
Take the $700 Billion and give it to the PUBLIC. Think about it - that comes to about $400,000 to each taxpayer then take out taxes from that which comes out to about $250,000 (net) per taxpayer.

This will give a huge influx of cash to both the public and the government. The public can then pay off their debts, such as home mortgages, credit cards, small business loans, car loans, etc. along with purchasing power.

Why give the money back to the cooperation’s that helped get us here in the first place? Why not invest in the “people” that want to see change?

The public will let you know where they would like to spend their money along with getting themselves out of debt. The money could also help fund new small business start-ups which essentially the backbone of this great country.

I’m looking at this as a new beginning for America, and giving him as much leeway as I gave Bush in the beginning, but he’s STILL not offered any substance. I argued with a friend over these videos last night, because he thinks Obama “sounds great”, which he does, but it still sounds like a campaign speech to me.

He actually does start to say something this week that’s more than just empty rhetoric - “I’ve already directed my economic team team to come up with an economic recovery plan that will result in 2.5 million more jobs by Jan 2011. We’ll be working out the details in the weeks ahead, and announcing the details soon.” - Really? You have? Wow, why not direct them to come up with a cure for Cancer too?

At one point when there had been nearly 8 months between Bush press conferences, I remember saying, “At least come out and LIE to us, tell us SOMETHING, instead of ignoring all the media clammor. Answer the charges being levied - DEFEND your decisions.”

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?

Yesterday on my way to lunch, I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read, “Vote Obama - I need the money.” I laughed.

Once in the restaurant, my server had on an “Obama 08″ button. Again, I laughed because he had given away his political preference - just imagine the coincidence.  When the bill came, I decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the “Obama Redistribution of Wealth” concept.

He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in “need” - I pointed to the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight.  I went outside, gave the homeless guy $5, and told him to thank the server inside, as I’d decided that he “needed” the money more. The homeless guy was very grateful.

At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment, I realized that the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn, even though the actual recipient “needed” the money more.  I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in practical application.

Just remember, “change” is not always positive and purposeful ambiguity very rarely masks something good. The words “need” and “fair” are very subjective. Do you really want someone else deciding how much of your hard earned money it is “fair” to give to those who haven’t earned it but are deemed in more “need?” Me neither. It takes a lot of time and effort to earn something but only takes ten minutes at the polls to steal it. How is that “fair?”

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.