Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
One Park-Two Celebrations
My beloved Prospect Park was the scene of two unique publicly-attended events on Saturday.
The first event celebrated the life of a singer that sold millions of records. The second event commemorated the lives of hundreds of men who sacrificed their lives in the first battle of the Revolutionary War which took place on Prospect Park's soil.
Guess which event was more popular? Guess which one the media covered?
Thousands upon thousands attended the Michael Jackson birthday party. I could hear Vincent Price's demonic laugh from Coney Island Avenue.
Later on, as a got to the park side, I saw a lot of the MJ party-goers as they left. What an unusual spectacle. You had people from all different backgrounds, and all shapes and sizes, but they all seemed to have some common traits: the nerdiness of a Star Trek convention attendee combined with the whacked-out wide-eyed hippie devotion of a Grateful Dead-Head.
And so many of them were Michael Jackson impersonators. Now let me say something here. Admittedly, I have no background in studying mental illness. But if you are a grown- ass man, in your 30's and 40's, and you walk, talk, and dress like Michael Jackson, you may have to, you know, talk to someone about it.
There were so many Michael Jackson impersonators in the park, the amber alert system went haywire.
I saw a tape on you tube where the Reverend Al Sharpton got things started at the MJ celebration saying that we must not forget Teddy, who was being buried that day, or the Hurricane Katrina victims, because this was the 4th anniversary of the hurricane.
Which is all well and good. But Al forgot to mention some other people that have a connection with August 29th. Not only are these brave men connected with the date of Michael's birth, Teddy's funeral and Katrina's arrival, but what they did took place on the very soil the Reverend Al was standing on.
I'm talking about the Maryland Militia. And while the Reverend Al was bloviating on one side of the park, on the other side, a small ceremony took place rededicating the Maryland Monument.
Its been 233 years since these brave men saved an infant nation-and our debt to them is eternal.
What did they do? They found themselves surrounded by British troops that vastly out-numbered them. And they fought. They fought valiantly. Hundreds of them died, many perhaps on the same ground where on Saturday one -gloved worshipers were playing air guitar to "Beat It."
These men were indispensable to the American Revolution. Why? By engaging the British as bravely as they did, they allowed George Washington and his troops to make a getaway across the East River.
If Washington was captured he would have been hanged, and the Revolution never would have happened.
(Plus, upon capture by the British, Washington would have been -liberals please close your eyes for a second-WATERBOARDED!)
If Washington was captured here are some other ramifications:
1. The day Princess Diana died would be a national holiday;
2. Eddie Murphy would have been member of Monty Python instead of Saturday Night Live;
3. America would suck at basketball & boxing.
By the way, if the Revolution were attempted today, Washington would have never been able to escape Park Slope. Why? The baby strollers. There are so many in Park Slope, it would have impeded Washington's retreat. Plus, many of Washington's officers may have had to put in hrs. at the food co-op.
I'm going to try to finish on a serious point.
Without the Maryland Militia ,there is no MJ celebration planned by Spike Lee nor any spiritual reminders from Reverend Al. Hell, there would be no Shouts From The Stoop, only tea and crumpets on the patio.
So thank you Maryland Militia. 233 years later, your lives, deeds and sacrifices are not forgotten.
The first event celebrated the life of a singer that sold millions of records. The second event commemorated the lives of hundreds of men who sacrificed their lives in the first battle of the Revolutionary War which took place on Prospect Park's soil.
Guess which event was more popular? Guess which one the media covered?
Thousands upon thousands attended the Michael Jackson birthday party. I could hear Vincent Price's demonic laugh from Coney Island Avenue.
Later on, as a got to the park side, I saw a lot of the MJ party-goers as they left. What an unusual spectacle. You had people from all different backgrounds, and all shapes and sizes, but they all seemed to have some common traits: the nerdiness of a Star Trek convention attendee combined with the whacked-out wide-eyed hippie devotion of a Grateful Dead-Head.
And so many of them were Michael Jackson impersonators. Now let me say something here. Admittedly, I have no background in studying mental illness. But if you are a grown- ass man, in your 30's and 40's, and you walk, talk, and dress like Michael Jackson, you may have to, you know, talk to someone about it.
There were so many Michael Jackson impersonators in the park, the amber alert system went haywire.
I saw a tape on you tube where the Reverend Al Sharpton got things started at the MJ celebration saying that we must not forget Teddy, who was being buried that day, or the Hurricane Katrina victims, because this was the 4th anniversary of the hurricane.
Which is all well and good. But Al forgot to mention some other people that have a connection with August 29th. Not only are these brave men connected with the date of Michael's birth, Teddy's funeral and Katrina's arrival, but what they did took place on the very soil the Reverend Al was standing on.
I'm talking about the Maryland Militia. And while the Reverend Al was bloviating on one side of the park, on the other side, a small ceremony took place rededicating the Maryland Monument.
Its been 233 years since these brave men saved an infant nation-and our debt to them is eternal.
What did they do? They found themselves surrounded by British troops that vastly out-numbered them. And they fought. They fought valiantly. Hundreds of them died, many perhaps on the same ground where on Saturday one -gloved worshipers were playing air guitar to "Beat It."
These men were indispensable to the American Revolution. Why? By engaging the British as bravely as they did, they allowed George Washington and his troops to make a getaway across the East River.
If Washington was captured he would have been hanged, and the Revolution never would have happened.
(Plus, upon capture by the British, Washington would have been -liberals please close your eyes for a second-WATERBOARDED!)
If Washington was captured here are some other ramifications:
1. The day Princess Diana died would be a national holiday;
2. Eddie Murphy would have been member of Monty Python instead of Saturday Night Live;
3. America would suck at basketball & boxing.
By the way, if the Revolution were attempted today, Washington would have never been able to escape Park Slope. Why? The baby strollers. There are so many in Park Slope, it would have impeded Washington's retreat. Plus, many of Washington's officers may have had to put in hrs. at the food co-op.
I'm going to try to finish on a serious point.
Without the Maryland Militia ,there is no MJ celebration planned by Spike Lee nor any spiritual reminders from Reverend Al. Hell, there would be no Shouts From The Stoop, only tea and crumpets on the patio.
So thank you Maryland Militia. 233 years later, your lives, deeds and sacrifices are not forgotten.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Shed A Tear For Eunice
A little more than two weeks ago, Eunice Kennedy Shriver died at 88. Upon her death, the Shriver family received a letter of condolence from Pope Benedict. When Teddy died this week, no such letter arrived in Hyannis Port.
Pope Benedict knows what all of America should know: That Eunice Kennedy Shriver devoted her life to the twin causes of special needs children and the rights of the unborn.
Eunice's devotion to special needs children can be traced back to her relationship with her sister Rosemary. Rosemary Kennedy was three years older than Eunice and was a special needs child. Unfortunately, she did not receive the help she needed at home and was sent off to an institution at age 23. In an act of unspeakable cruelty, Joseph Kennedy had a prefrontal lobotomy performed on Rosemary. (Admittedly, it seems sometimes that Ted was the one with the lobotomy.)
The family was told not to visit Rosemary, that it would be too upsetting to her. And that's how it was for a lot of families with special needs children in those days. It was something not talked about, you send the kid away and that was that.
But Eunice Kennedy did not go along with that kind of thinking. You see, Eunice did not forget her sister. She did not stay away. In fact, she regularly visited her sister-for over 60 years until Rosemary passed away in 2005.
From her visits with Rosemary, Eunice saw that you don't lock away special needs children and throw away the key. No, Eunice saw that you engage them, you hug them, and you love them.
Now Eunice could have attended charity dinners and written big checks on behalf of these kids.
But that was not her way. From the Washington Post:
I think that really the only way you change people's attitudes or behavior is to work with them," Eunice told an interviewer. "Not write papers or serve on committees. Who's going to work with the child to change him -- with the juvenile delinquent and the retarded? Who's going to teach them to swim? To catch a ball? You have to work with the person. It's quite simple, actually."
She was hands on. She began working on behalf of these children in the 1950's. In 1961, when he brother became President, she got him to devote tax dollars to study the causes of and more humane treatment of the mentally disabled. In 1962, she started a summer camp for mentally disabled children and also wrote a groundbreaking article in the Saturday Evening Post revealing Rosemary's story for the first time, and urging Americans that these children should be locked away and forgotten about.
The summer camp Eunice started eventually grew into what is her greatest known legacy: the Special Olympics competition which she founded. The first special Olympics took place in 1968. About 1,000 kids/adults participated, all from the United States. It has grown to where now 2.5 million participate, from 180 countries.
When the Special Olympics first began, people questioned Eunice on whether the athletes had the capabilities of dealing with losing. Here was Eunice's response, from the Washington Post:
Shriver told The Post in 1987 that she had "heard a lot of that" and that it was "a lot of baloney."
"What proof have they got that as a group of people they can't take losing?" she said. "Who? Where does it come from, that idea? Somebody cries because they lose? I can tell you 50 people who cry -- I go and watch my own kids cry when they lose."
You, see, to Eunice, kids were kids. Kennedy kids born in wealth- and disabled kids born into adversity- she saw no distinction. Each was a child of God.
While Eunice's work with Special Olympics is publicly known, her work on behalf of the right to life movement is not known by many. But if you think about it, is it really any surprise that someone who devoted so much of her heart to the disabled would also take up the cause of the most defenseless among us-the unborn?
A devout Catholic, Eunice was a member of several pro-life organizations, and was one of the few Democrats who spoke out against its abortion plank in its 1992 platform. In addition, in a letter to the New York Times, she denounced a pro-abortion group for misrepresenting John Kennedy's views on abortion.
Eunice is largely responsible with how America has changed in how we interact and understand those with special needs. She made their lives better. In addition, she was no lock- step liberal, who signed onto the culture of death. She put conscience ahead of party loyalty. What a legacy.
You know, when a Bishop turns 75, he must submit his resignation to the Pope. The Pope is free to accept or reject the resignation letter.
When Pope John Paul II received Cardinal O'Connor's (pictured with Eunice above) resignation letter, he was asked if he would accept it. The Pope rejected the notion out of hand, reportedly saying that he wished he had a John O'Connor to appoint in every church around the world.
When it comes to Eunice vs. Teddy, I feel the way John Paul felt about Cardinal O'Connor. For every vote Ted cast, for every speech he gave, and for every law he authored, I wish it were Eunice.
Pope Benedict knows what all of America should know: That Eunice Kennedy Shriver devoted her life to the twin causes of special needs children and the rights of the unborn.
Eunice's devotion to special needs children can be traced back to her relationship with her sister Rosemary. Rosemary Kennedy was three years older than Eunice and was a special needs child. Unfortunately, she did not receive the help she needed at home and was sent off to an institution at age 23. In an act of unspeakable cruelty, Joseph Kennedy had a prefrontal lobotomy performed on Rosemary. (Admittedly, it seems sometimes that Ted was the one with the lobotomy.)
The family was told not to visit Rosemary, that it would be too upsetting to her. And that's how it was for a lot of families with special needs children in those days. It was something not talked about, you send the kid away and that was that.
But Eunice Kennedy did not go along with that kind of thinking. You see, Eunice did not forget her sister. She did not stay away. In fact, she regularly visited her sister-for over 60 years until Rosemary passed away in 2005.
From her visits with Rosemary, Eunice saw that you don't lock away special needs children and throw away the key. No, Eunice saw that you engage them, you hug them, and you love them.
Now Eunice could have attended charity dinners and written big checks on behalf of these kids.
But that was not her way. From the Washington Post:
I think that really the only way you change people's attitudes or behavior is to work with them," Eunice told an interviewer. "Not write papers or serve on committees. Who's going to work with the child to change him -- with the juvenile delinquent and the retarded? Who's going to teach them to swim? To catch a ball? You have to work with the person. It's quite simple, actually."
She was hands on. She began working on behalf of these children in the 1950's. In 1961, when he brother became President, she got him to devote tax dollars to study the causes of and more humane treatment of the mentally disabled. In 1962, she started a summer camp for mentally disabled children and also wrote a groundbreaking article in the Saturday Evening Post revealing Rosemary's story for the first time, and urging Americans that these children should be locked away and forgotten about.
The summer camp Eunice started eventually grew into what is her greatest known legacy: the Special Olympics competition which she founded. The first special Olympics took place in 1968. About 1,000 kids/adults participated, all from the United States. It has grown to where now 2.5 million participate, from 180 countries.
When the Special Olympics first began, people questioned Eunice on whether the athletes had the capabilities of dealing with losing. Here was Eunice's response, from the Washington Post:
Shriver told The Post in 1987 that she had "heard a lot of that" and that it was "a lot of baloney."
"What proof have they got that as a group of people they can't take losing?" she said. "Who? Where does it come from, that idea? Somebody cries because they lose? I can tell you 50 people who cry -- I go and watch my own kids cry when they lose."
You, see, to Eunice, kids were kids. Kennedy kids born in wealth- and disabled kids born into adversity- she saw no distinction. Each was a child of God.
While Eunice's work with Special Olympics is publicly known, her work on behalf of the right to life movement is not known by many. But if you think about it, is it really any surprise that someone who devoted so much of her heart to the disabled would also take up the cause of the most defenseless among us-the unborn?
A devout Catholic, Eunice was a member of several pro-life organizations, and was one of the few Democrats who spoke out against its abortion plank in its 1992 platform. In addition, in a letter to the New York Times, she denounced a pro-abortion group for misrepresenting John Kennedy's views on abortion.
Eunice is largely responsible with how America has changed in how we interact and understand those with special needs. She made their lives better. In addition, she was no lock- step liberal, who signed onto the culture of death. She put conscience ahead of party loyalty. What a legacy.
You know, when a Bishop turns 75, he must submit his resignation to the Pope. The Pope is free to accept or reject the resignation letter.
When Pope John Paul II received Cardinal O'Connor's (pictured with Eunice above) resignation letter, he was asked if he would accept it. The Pope rejected the notion out of hand, reportedly saying that he wished he had a John O'Connor to appoint in every church around the world.
When it comes to Eunice vs. Teddy, I feel the way John Paul felt about Cardinal O'Connor. For every vote Ted cast, for every speech he gave, and for every law he authored, I wish it were Eunice.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Ronald Reagan: Town Hall Protester
Isn't it great that we can look to wise men that came before us for guidance in dealing with the problems of today?
The link below is a speech given by private citizen Ronald Reagan in 1961. You know how Bob Dylan has a song that goes "Sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace"? Reagan warns that socialism will come to this country disguised as liberalism. And that socialized medicine would be the first encroachment because its easy to sell.
When you listen to Reagan below, (with soundtrack by Glenn Beck) notice how he lives on in all of the town hall protesters.
As for me, I am with Reagan on this one. I see nationalized health care as a D-Day for socialism. Just as on D-Day we gained a foothold in Europe, and it was the beginning of the end or the war, if we let a national health care system come to our shores, it will be the foothold the socialists (liberals) need to impose socialism on America.
If private citizen Reagan attended the current town hall meetings, he would be dismissed by the left as too organized to be believed, too well dressed to be taken seriously, and too patriotic to be understood.
Plus, Congressman Jim Moran would ask for his ID.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfyfq-gqxWk
Listen to the man, this speech should be played at every town hall meeting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4noO9Wirps
The link below is a speech given by private citizen Ronald Reagan in 1961. You know how Bob Dylan has a song that goes "Sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace"? Reagan warns that socialism will come to this country disguised as liberalism. And that socialized medicine would be the first encroachment because its easy to sell.
When you listen to Reagan below, (with soundtrack by Glenn Beck) notice how he lives on in all of the town hall protesters.
As for me, I am with Reagan on this one. I see nationalized health care as a D-Day for socialism. Just as on D-Day we gained a foothold in Europe, and it was the beginning of the end or the war, if we let a national health care system come to our shores, it will be the foothold the socialists (liberals) need to impose socialism on America.
If private citizen Reagan attended the current town hall meetings, he would be dismissed by the left as too organized to be believed, too well dressed to be taken seriously, and too patriotic to be understood.
Plus, Congressman Jim Moran would ask for his ID.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfyfq-gqxWk
Listen to the man, this speech should be played at every town hall meeting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4noO9Wirps
He Killed Her And Found It Funny
Ed Klein is a former editor of Newsweek and a friend of Ted Kennedy. Klein was on a radio show this week talking about his fallen friend. While filling the airwaves with praise and admiration for all things Ted, Klein let his guard down-way down- and said the following:
"I don't know if you know this or not, but one of his favorite topics of humor was indeed Chappaquiddick itself. And he would ask people, "have you heard any new jokes about Chappaquiddick?" That is just the most amazing thing. It's not that he didn't feel remorse about the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, but that he still always saw the other side of everything and the ridiculous side of things, too."
Don't believe me? Listen here: YouTube link.
Isn't it great to know that after causing Mary Jo's death and receiving no punishment under the law, Ted found the whole thing funny? That it was a source of amusement? Who is Ted's favorite comedian-Jeffrey Dahmer?
This reminds me of the Robert Chambers tape, where by using a doll, he made fun of his killing of Jennifer Levin. See the Chambers tape here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vCHgj3qOy8 (the first 2 minutes has it all.)
The difference between Chambers and Kennedy, of course, is that Chambers did 15 years in prison, and Teddy did 47 years in the Senate.
Can someone remind me once again why this man should be admired, revered and emulated?
"I don't know if you know this or not, but one of his favorite topics of humor was indeed Chappaquiddick itself. And he would ask people, "have you heard any new jokes about Chappaquiddick?" That is just the most amazing thing. It's not that he didn't feel remorse about the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, but that he still always saw the other side of everything and the ridiculous side of things, too."
Don't believe me? Listen here: YouTube link.
Isn't it great to know that after causing Mary Jo's death and receiving no punishment under the law, Ted found the whole thing funny? That it was a source of amusement? Who is Ted's favorite comedian-Jeffrey Dahmer?
This reminds me of the Robert Chambers tape, where by using a doll, he made fun of his killing of Jennifer Levin. See the Chambers tape here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vCHgj3qOy8 (the first 2 minutes has it all.)
The difference between Chambers and Kennedy, of course, is that Chambers did 15 years in prison, and Teddy did 47 years in the Senate.
Can someone remind me once again why this man should be admired, revered and emulated?
Not A Incident or Accident
I talked yesterday with two friends who are younger than me about Ted Kennedy. (Out of privacy concerns, I do not want to reveal their names. Let's call them "Tonja" & "Tamalia".)
During the last few days, both learned for the first time about Ted Kennedy leaving Mary Jo to die in a lake.
I thought about it, and it was not so surprising that it took Teddy's death to learn about this. You see, the main stream press never brought up the incident unless Teddy was running for President. His past never was part of the present.
Even now, you hear words like "incident" or "accident" or phrases like "he overcame Chappaquiddick".
Lets be clear: the only accident was the car crashing into the lake. Every action Ted took over the next 10 hrs had a purpose, nothing he did was by accident; it was all by design.
As for overcoming the situation, that would be funny if there wasn't a dead girl found in a lake.
You see, Teddy never paid a price for what he did to Mary Jo. He never went to jail.
There has never been a sense of closure about this case. You know why? Because a crime was committed, woman died, and the guilty went free.
At last year's Democratic Convention they gave Teddy a video tribute. Here are my remarks written at that time:
Teddy Tribute: I'm Shocked, No Mary Jo?
I'm going to say that Mary Jo was driving- Ted (The Swimmer) Kennedy
I just watched the Ted Kennedy video tribute at the Democratic Convention. Holy sh*t. Just about the whole thing took place in the ocean. On the water. How much Teddy loves the water.
Talk about having no sense of shame. Do you think it would have crossed the film makers mind to say "hey, let's go easy on Teddy loving the ocean thing, out of respect for Mary Jo".
Here's a much more accurate depiction of Teddy's love for water:
During the summer of 1969, Teddy was at a party where he was heavily drinking. He left the party with a woman- Mary Joe Kopechne. (Not his wife.) He drove his car off a bridge into a lake. (At the time, his license was suspended for reckless driving, but rules don't apply to Ted.) Ted was able to get to the shore right away. (Michael Phelps has nothing on Teddy.) He suffered no injuries. Mary Jo was still locked in the car underwater.
Ted walked past several homes that had the lights on. People were home and all he had to do was knock to get help for Mary Jo. But he didn't.
Ted made it back to outside the house of the party. He did not want a lot of people to see him. He saw his servant; he made him get two men who always helped Teddy get out of trouble, his lawyer and his cousin. They were Teddy's fixers. (Or more correctly Kennedy family fixers.)
Teddy and the two fixers walked back to the lake. It was now two hours after Mary Jo was left in the car in the lake. The two fixers continually urged Teddy to call the authorities, to get help for Mary Jo. Teddy refused. He kept muttering "How could this happen to me?"
The two fixers jumped into the lake in a vain attempt to save Mary Jo. Teddy still would not let them call for help.
Over the next 8 hrs. Teddy went back and forth about how he could he get out of this mess. Can he say that Mary Jo was driving? That she dropped him off? That one of the fixer's were driving? During that time, he never called for help or allowed the two fixers to call. He also demanded that the fixers not tell anyone at the party what happened.
Teddy only admitted the incident to the authorities after he saw that the body was found.
Ten hours after the accident, the car that Teddy was driving was found half submerged in the lake. The license plate was traced back to Teddy.
Scientific evidence suggests that Mary Jo may have suffocated, rather than drown. If this is true, Mary Jo would have been alive for several hours, crucial hours that emergency workers could have used to save her life. But they were never called.
An autopsy was never performed; Teddy quickly reached an agreement with Mary Jo's family, he (or more likely, his father) paid the family $90,000. The insurance company kicked in another $50,000.
He received a slap on the wrist, gave a speech where he said his "family was cursed" and went back to the Senate.
That's the Teddy who loves the water. That's the Teddy who is the health care advocate-except of course, if you need immediate health care because you are trapped in a car underwater.
What a guy.
During the last few days, both learned for the first time about Ted Kennedy leaving Mary Jo to die in a lake.
I thought about it, and it was not so surprising that it took Teddy's death to learn about this. You see, the main stream press never brought up the incident unless Teddy was running for President. His past never was part of the present.
Even now, you hear words like "incident" or "accident" or phrases like "he overcame Chappaquiddick".
Lets be clear: the only accident was the car crashing into the lake. Every action Ted took over the next 10 hrs had a purpose, nothing he did was by accident; it was all by design.
As for overcoming the situation, that would be funny if there wasn't a dead girl found in a lake.
You see, Teddy never paid a price for what he did to Mary Jo. He never went to jail.
There has never been a sense of closure about this case. You know why? Because a crime was committed, woman died, and the guilty went free.
At last year's Democratic Convention they gave Teddy a video tribute. Here are my remarks written at that time:
Teddy Tribute: I'm Shocked, No Mary Jo?
I'm going to say that Mary Jo was driving- Ted (The Swimmer) Kennedy
I just watched the Ted Kennedy video tribute at the Democratic Convention. Holy sh*t. Just about the whole thing took place in the ocean. On the water. How much Teddy loves the water.
Talk about having no sense of shame. Do you think it would have crossed the film makers mind to say "hey, let's go easy on Teddy loving the ocean thing, out of respect for Mary Jo".
Here's a much more accurate depiction of Teddy's love for water:
During the summer of 1969, Teddy was at a party where he was heavily drinking. He left the party with a woman- Mary Joe Kopechne. (Not his wife.) He drove his car off a bridge into a lake. (At the time, his license was suspended for reckless driving, but rules don't apply to Ted.) Ted was able to get to the shore right away. (Michael Phelps has nothing on Teddy.) He suffered no injuries. Mary Jo was still locked in the car underwater.
Ted walked past several homes that had the lights on. People were home and all he had to do was knock to get help for Mary Jo. But he didn't.
Ted made it back to outside the house of the party. He did not want a lot of people to see him. He saw his servant; he made him get two men who always helped Teddy get out of trouble, his lawyer and his cousin. They were Teddy's fixers. (Or more correctly Kennedy family fixers.)
Teddy and the two fixers walked back to the lake. It was now two hours after Mary Jo was left in the car in the lake. The two fixers continually urged Teddy to call the authorities, to get help for Mary Jo. Teddy refused. He kept muttering "How could this happen to me?"
The two fixers jumped into the lake in a vain attempt to save Mary Jo. Teddy still would not let them call for help.
Over the next 8 hrs. Teddy went back and forth about how he could he get out of this mess. Can he say that Mary Jo was driving? That she dropped him off? That one of the fixer's were driving? During that time, he never called for help or allowed the two fixers to call. He also demanded that the fixers not tell anyone at the party what happened.
Teddy only admitted the incident to the authorities after he saw that the body was found.
Ten hours after the accident, the car that Teddy was driving was found half submerged in the lake. The license plate was traced back to Teddy.
Scientific evidence suggests that Mary Jo may have suffocated, rather than drown. If this is true, Mary Jo would have been alive for several hours, crucial hours that emergency workers could have used to save her life. But they were never called.
An autopsy was never performed; Teddy quickly reached an agreement with Mary Jo's family, he (or more likely, his father) paid the family $90,000. The insurance company kicked in another $50,000.
He received a slap on the wrist, gave a speech where he said his "family was cursed" and went back to the Senate.
That's the Teddy who loves the water. That's the Teddy who is the health care advocate-except of course, if you need immediate health care because you are trapped in a car underwater.
What a guy.
How Low Can They Go?
The hard left has changed its playbook-for the worse. You see, they used to identify political figures or commentators that they deemed a threat and go after them as viciously as possible. Here is a sample roll call: Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas & Sarah Palin.
But they have extended the smear tactics to everyday Americans who simply ask them questions. Joe the Plumber was the Canary in the Coal Mine. He was the first to get the filth.
With the town hall meetings, the zealous left has reached a new low.
We have all seen it. Salt of the Earth Americans who oppose the socialistic health care plan are being called frauds, plants and worse. Just for opposing the left. Just for asking questions.
I saw the other day where Congressman Jim Moran at a town hall meeting (feel free to call him Jim Moron after this sentence) demanded that a questioner that he did not like show identification before asking a question!
Imagine that: Government officials are literally taking names of American citizens who disagree with their socialist agenda.
Lets see how twisted the Moron mind works:
Time and again, we have been told that merely presenting valid identification at the voting booth is "voter intimidation". Yet, asking for identification at town hall meetings is fair game?
Below are my thoughts I wrote at the time when the left went nuclear against Joe the Plumber and Sarah Palin. I think you will be able to see a straight line from how Joe was treated to the town hall protesters:
Getting The Dirt On Joe The Plumber
Joe the Plumber may clean toilets, but the party that tells us they respect the right to privacy (insert laugh here) is going through this private citizen's closet. The witch hunt is on. And why?
Joe was tossing around a football with his son on his lawn in Ohio. Obama approached Joe. Joe told Obama that he is thinking of buying a plumbing business with $250,000 in revenues and why would he be taxed so heavily under the Obama tax plan?. An unscripted Obama gave an honest answer. "I want to spread the wealth around" was Obama's reply.
Spread the wealth around. Take Joe's money, and give it to whom Obama deems worthy. It's Obama's whole governing philosophy, and we got it not in the debates, not at the convention, but on Joe the Plumber''s lawn.
In a nation that was founded on a tax revolt, the confiscatory nature of politicians who want a lions share of your pocketbook can still cause an uproar among the masses. And that is a very real danger to the left.
So what is the Party of the People's solution? Get dirt on the Joe the Plumber! In the past 24 hours, we have learned more about the private life of Joe the Plumber than we have learned about Obama in the last two years.
What a chilling effect this has on democracy. One minute, you are a private citizen. The next minute, you ask a politician who appears on your property a question, and your whole private life is being examined, and your dirty laundry is published for all to see.
Isn't it great to see how liberals care about the common man?
Going After Sister Sarah
Have you no sense of decency sir, at long last?- Joseph Welsh
I know its a theme that keeps repeating itself, but how fucked up is the left wing press? Five minutes after Sarah Palin is nominated we are inundated with stories of the sex lives of her underaged children:
A scurrilous rumor that her daughter gave birth to the down syndrome child, and Palin is really the grandmother;
And finally, her 17 year old daughter is pregnant.
Remember Chelsea Clinton and Amy Carter? How when they were underage their lives were considered off limit by the press?
Yet, when we get a conservative to her core nominee like Palin, all rules go out the window.
Always remember that when they call themselves the party that "respects the right to privacy". What a fu*kin joke.
Remember when the "right to privacy party" went after Robert Bork & Clarence Thomas?
The ACLU got a hold of the movies they rented from video stores. They wanted to expose porno movies rented by Bork & Thomas. I would have loved to see the disappointment on their rat fink faces when the list included "Miracle on 34th Street & Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". Priceless.
You don't have to go back in history to see the double standard.
Just look at how the media treated the John Edwards baby-momma drama. The National Enquirer had that story cold for seven months. All true. Yet, the mainstream left wing press took seven months to briefly mention it. They never investigated it, never sent any reporters to confirm or deny the information. Nothing. You see, it was a "private" matter for Edwards-and he was running for president!
So here are the rules:
Left wing Presidential contenders that knock-up women while their wives are terminally ill are off limits, while the sex lives of the underage children of conservative candidates are fair game.
Truth be known, by investigating the children of Palin the left is admitting that they see her as a threat. And they should. She has galvanized the base (conservatives, evangelicals, right to lifers, gun advocates) in ways I have never seen.
Sister Sarah better be strong.
But they have extended the smear tactics to everyday Americans who simply ask them questions. Joe the Plumber was the Canary in the Coal Mine. He was the first to get the filth.
With the town hall meetings, the zealous left has reached a new low.
We have all seen it. Salt of the Earth Americans who oppose the socialistic health care plan are being called frauds, plants and worse. Just for opposing the left. Just for asking questions.
I saw the other day where Congressman Jim Moran at a town hall meeting (feel free to call him Jim Moron after this sentence) demanded that a questioner that he did not like show identification before asking a question!
Imagine that: Government officials are literally taking names of American citizens who disagree with their socialist agenda.
Lets see how twisted the Moron mind works:
Time and again, we have been told that merely presenting valid identification at the voting booth is "voter intimidation". Yet, asking for identification at town hall meetings is fair game?
Below are my thoughts I wrote at the time when the left went nuclear against Joe the Plumber and Sarah Palin. I think you will be able to see a straight line from how Joe was treated to the town hall protesters:
Getting The Dirt On Joe The Plumber
Joe the Plumber may clean toilets, but the party that tells us they respect the right to privacy (insert laugh here) is going through this private citizen's closet. The witch hunt is on. And why?
Joe was tossing around a football with his son on his lawn in Ohio. Obama approached Joe. Joe told Obama that he is thinking of buying a plumbing business with $250,000 in revenues and why would he be taxed so heavily under the Obama tax plan?. An unscripted Obama gave an honest answer. "I want to spread the wealth around" was Obama's reply.
Spread the wealth around. Take Joe's money, and give it to whom Obama deems worthy. It's Obama's whole governing philosophy, and we got it not in the debates, not at the convention, but on Joe the Plumber''s lawn.
In a nation that was founded on a tax revolt, the confiscatory nature of politicians who want a lions share of your pocketbook can still cause an uproar among the masses. And that is a very real danger to the left.
So what is the Party of the People's solution? Get dirt on the Joe the Plumber! In the past 24 hours, we have learned more about the private life of Joe the Plumber than we have learned about Obama in the last two years.
What a chilling effect this has on democracy. One minute, you are a private citizen. The next minute, you ask a politician who appears on your property a question, and your whole private life is being examined, and your dirty laundry is published for all to see.
Isn't it great to see how liberals care about the common man?
Going After Sister Sarah
Have you no sense of decency sir, at long last?- Joseph Welsh
I know its a theme that keeps repeating itself, but how fucked up is the left wing press? Five minutes after Sarah Palin is nominated we are inundated with stories of the sex lives of her underaged children:
A scurrilous rumor that her daughter gave birth to the down syndrome child, and Palin is really the grandmother;
And finally, her 17 year old daughter is pregnant.
Remember Chelsea Clinton and Amy Carter? How when they were underage their lives were considered off limit by the press?
Yet, when we get a conservative to her core nominee like Palin, all rules go out the window.
Always remember that when they call themselves the party that "respects the right to privacy". What a fu*kin joke.
Remember when the "right to privacy party" went after Robert Bork & Clarence Thomas?
The ACLU got a hold of the movies they rented from video stores. They wanted to expose porno movies rented by Bork & Thomas. I would have loved to see the disappointment on their rat fink faces when the list included "Miracle on 34th Street & Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". Priceless.
You don't have to go back in history to see the double standard.
Just look at how the media treated the John Edwards baby-momma drama. The National Enquirer had that story cold for seven months. All true. Yet, the mainstream left wing press took seven months to briefly mention it. They never investigated it, never sent any reporters to confirm or deny the information. Nothing. You see, it was a "private" matter for Edwards-and he was running for president!
So here are the rules:
Left wing Presidential contenders that knock-up women while their wives are terminally ill are off limits, while the sex lives of the underage children of conservative candidates are fair game.
Truth be known, by investigating the children of Palin the left is admitting that they see her as a threat. And they should. She has galvanized the base (conservatives, evangelicals, right to lifers, gun advocates) in ways I have never seen.
Sister Sarah better be strong.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A Most Forgetful Party
"If the Democratic Party was going to honestly acknowledge how it came to the point in its history that it was about to nominate a black American for President, no speech would not mention Lyndon Johnson.” Robert Caro
One year ago today, Obama gave his historic Democratic Convention Speech in Denver. It just so happens that it also was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lyndon Baines Johnson.
While Obama had the crowd chanting YES WE CAN, in reality, what was going on in the speech, and the whole convention, was the Democratic Party saying NO WE CAN'T- mention Lyndon Johnson.
Lets be clear: Without LBJ, there is no President Obama. His 2008 election could have never happened. Ever. Not now.
It does not matter how talented you think Obama is, how brilliant he is as a campaigner, or how terrific his is as a public speaker.
He would have had no shot at the Presidency because the game was rigged. It was unfair. And when I say it was rigged & unfair, I mean it was rigged and unfair against black Americans.
But LBJ and his twin monuments (The Civil Rights Act of 1964 & The Voting Rights Act of 1965) codified justice, fairness and compassion into American law.
It changed America-for the better. And it paved the way for Obama.
We live in LBJ's (and Reagan's) America. And we should thank the Lord that we do.
All of the above makes it a disgrace that LBJ's party has scrubbed him from its history.
At the convention they mentioned FDR. They mentioned Truman. And of course, they mentioned JFK. But no LBJ.
They gave Ted Kennedy a video tribute, which was kind of creepy, because it talked about his love of water and showed him on the ocean. (I'm sorry, when I think of Ted and water, I think of Mary Jo, and not of Ted's accomplishments in the Senate. Its like sitting in a white bronco with OJ, and he starts talking about his football career, and the whole time, you think about how he slashed two people to death.)
In fact, Teddy has been omitting LBJ for a long time now. Last night, I watched Teddy's 1980 convention speech where he mentioned that the Democratic Party was the party of the "New Deal" and " New Frontier", which were tributes to FDR and his brother.
But Teddy did not mention that they were the party of the "Great Society" and Lyndon Johnson. In fact, in watching the speech, I got the feeling that after mentioning the " New Deal" & "New Frontier", Teddy would have praised "New Edition" and "Bell Biv Devoe" before giving credit to LBJ.
James Farmer, the leader of the Congress of Racial Equality, told the story of a conversation he once had with Johnson in the White House:
I asked him how he got to be the way he was. He said, “What do you mean?” I said, “Well, here you are, calling senators, twisting their arms, threatening them, cajoling them, trying to line up votes for the Civil Rights Bill when your own record on civil rights was not a good one before you became Vice President. So what accounted for the change?” Johnson thought for a moment and wrinkled his brow and then said, “Well, I’ll answer that by quoting a good friend of yours and you will recognize the quote instantly. ‘Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last.’”
The Presidency freed LBJ to do the right thing. And he did.
So happy 101st birthday to LBJ. Your own party does not recognize your accomplishments, but the Stoop does.
Finally, if you never read anything else written by the Stoop, please read Robert Caro's New York Times piece below written one year ago today.
It makes the historical connection between Johnson and Obama, and tells of the speech LBJ gave that moved Martin Luther King to tears.
Johnson’s Dream, Obama’s Speech
One year ago today, Obama gave his historic Democratic Convention Speech in Denver. It just so happens that it also was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lyndon Baines Johnson.
While Obama had the crowd chanting YES WE CAN, in reality, what was going on in the speech, and the whole convention, was the Democratic Party saying NO WE CAN'T- mention Lyndon Johnson.
Lets be clear: Without LBJ, there is no President Obama. His 2008 election could have never happened. Ever. Not now.
It does not matter how talented you think Obama is, how brilliant he is as a campaigner, or how terrific his is as a public speaker.
He would have had no shot at the Presidency because the game was rigged. It was unfair. And when I say it was rigged & unfair, I mean it was rigged and unfair against black Americans.
But LBJ and his twin monuments (The Civil Rights Act of 1964 & The Voting Rights Act of 1965) codified justice, fairness and compassion into American law.
It changed America-for the better. And it paved the way for Obama.
We live in LBJ's (and Reagan's) America. And we should thank the Lord that we do.
All of the above makes it a disgrace that LBJ's party has scrubbed him from its history.
At the convention they mentioned FDR. They mentioned Truman. And of course, they mentioned JFK. But no LBJ.
They gave Ted Kennedy a video tribute, which was kind of creepy, because it talked about his love of water and showed him on the ocean. (I'm sorry, when I think of Ted and water, I think of Mary Jo, and not of Ted's accomplishments in the Senate. Its like sitting in a white bronco with OJ, and he starts talking about his football career, and the whole time, you think about how he slashed two people to death.)
In fact, Teddy has been omitting LBJ for a long time now. Last night, I watched Teddy's 1980 convention speech where he mentioned that the Democratic Party was the party of the "New Deal" and " New Frontier", which were tributes to FDR and his brother.
But Teddy did not mention that they were the party of the "Great Society" and Lyndon Johnson. In fact, in watching the speech, I got the feeling that after mentioning the " New Deal" & "New Frontier", Teddy would have praised "New Edition" and "Bell Biv Devoe" before giving credit to LBJ.
James Farmer, the leader of the Congress of Racial Equality, told the story of a conversation he once had with Johnson in the White House:
I asked him how he got to be the way he was. He said, “What do you mean?” I said, “Well, here you are, calling senators, twisting their arms, threatening them, cajoling them, trying to line up votes for the Civil Rights Bill when your own record on civil rights was not a good one before you became Vice President. So what accounted for the change?” Johnson thought for a moment and wrinkled his brow and then said, “Well, I’ll answer that by quoting a good friend of yours and you will recognize the quote instantly. ‘Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last.’”
The Presidency freed LBJ to do the right thing. And he did.
So happy 101st birthday to LBJ. Your own party does not recognize your accomplishments, but the Stoop does.
Finally, if you never read anything else written by the Stoop, please read Robert Caro's New York Times piece below written one year ago today.
It makes the historical connection between Johnson and Obama, and tells of the speech LBJ gave that moved Martin Luther King to tears.
Johnson’s Dream, Obama’s Speech
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The Voice Hears A Shout
Today's online version of the Village Voice has a piece on how right-wingers are criticizing Attorney General Eric Holder for conducting a criminal investigation into CIA Agents that tortured terrorists.
The article quotes, among others, Congressman Peter King, Jonah Goldberg of the National Review and Shouts From The Stoop.
Let me repeat: Its sheer madness for Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate members of the CIA.
Here is a link to the story.
New York - Runnin' Scared - Holder's CIA Investigation Unleashes ...
The article quotes, among others, Congressman Peter King, Jonah Goldberg of the National Review and Shouts From The Stoop.
Let me repeat: Its sheer madness for Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate members of the CIA.
Here is a link to the story.
New York - Runnin' Scared - Holder's CIA Investigation Unleashes ...
A Man of Slander
A mere 45 minutes after President Reagan nominated Robert Bork for the Supreme Court, Ted Kennedy took to the floor of the Senate and made the following statement:
Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit down at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens’ doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists would be censored at the whim of government, and the doors of the Federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens for whom the judiciary is often the only protector of the individual rights that are the heart of democracy.- Ted Kennedy
It was a new low-even for him.
Rarely had a man lied so much on so many issues in so few words.
It was remarkable for its slander; each sentence was a lie, and Teddy knew it.
Because of this slanderous speech, Teddy is responsible for a new work in the dictionary:
to bork, or borking
Don't think it was a coincidence that the place Teddy chose to give the speech was on the floor of the Senate. Every statement made by Senators on the floor of the Senate is immune from the laws of slander & libel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNaasFvvFlE
Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit down at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens’ doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists would be censored at the whim of government, and the doors of the Federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens for whom the judiciary is often the only protector of the individual rights that are the heart of democracy.- Ted Kennedy
It was a new low-even for him.
Rarely had a man lied so much on so many issues in so few words.
It was remarkable for its slander; each sentence was a lie, and Teddy knew it.
Because of this slanderous speech, Teddy is responsible for a new work in the dictionary:
to bork, or borking
Don't think it was a coincidence that the place Teddy chose to give the speech was on the floor of the Senate. Every statement made by Senators on the floor of the Senate is immune from the laws of slander & libel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNaasFvvFlE
Unvarnished Teddy
Michael Kelly spent 3 months, reviewed thousands of pages of research and conducted 70 interviews the results of which ended up in this 1990 profile of Ted Kennedy.
Its the real Ted, straight with no chaser.
Click below.
lengthy evisceration
Its the real Ted, straight with no chaser.
Click below.
lengthy evisceration
Mary Jo
On this day, my thoughts are with the Kopechne family. Mary Jo Kopechne was 29 when she was killed. She would have been 69 if she were with us today.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Eric Holder Needs To Go
Eric Holder is our Attorney General. Under President Clinton, he was the Justice Department Official who signed of on the Marc Rich pardon.
Do you remember Marc Rich? He was an international financier who was indicted on 65 counts of financial crimes. Rather than stand trial, he fled the country.
While Rich was a fugitive his wife donated money to the Clinton library. Presto. During the last days of the Clinton Presidency, Rich received a Presidential pardon after Holder gave the legal seal of approval.
The same Holder that let a fugitive from justice go free now wants to criminally investigate our CIA heroes that roughed up Osama's boys and in the process gained valuable information that saved American lives.
Where's the President during this? He acts like he has no control over what Eric Holder does, that you know, its just "Eric being Eric."
Remember in Goodfella's when the restaurant owner was having trouble with Tommy? He went to Paulie because Paulie had the power to intervene and make Tommy stop. Paulie at first pretended that he had no control over Tommy. "If Tommy's a bad seed he's a bad seed, what am I supposed to do?" Paulie claimed.
But Paulie did have power over Tommy, and he took over the restaurant.
Similarly, Obama does have power over Holder. Holder serves at the whim of the President.
Obama should give a speech tonight in which he announces "YES I CAN-FIRE ERIC HOLDER". He can even have his MTV-HOLLYWOOD friends make a song out of it.
Seriously, he has to announce that if Holder does not back off, he will be terminated. In addition, he should announce a blanket pardon for anyone that Holder wanted to investigate.
Now for the most part, I can understand policy differences between political parties.
But going after CIA members for what they did to terrorists is sheer madness. It would be like going after the Army Rangers for roughing up a few Nazi's on D-Day.
If you have any doubts on how I feel about the torture of terrorists, click onto the prior post below:
My Failure To Pass Math
Quick Stoop Story:
I was the world's worst math student. There were more F's on my transcript than in an Andrew Dice Clay monologue. In high school, my first three years, I went to summer school for math. My senior year, I got a 70 in math. The lowest passing grade was ....70. It was if they were saying, "We know you can't count to 70, but here is your diploma." (I will not reveal the high school, other than to say the greatest Supreme Court Justice of them all is also an alumni, but somehow, I think he did better than me at math.)
In college, I was a political science major, and only had to take one math class. I waited to my last semester to take "Math Appreciation" and made sure a good friend took it with me to give me , you know, advice.
The first day of class and we find out that the teacher is an adjunct from Eastern Europe. He begins to take attendance. He is painfully shy and mispronounces a lot of names because English is not his first language.
Because he was so bad in pronouncing names, the next class, he decides to distribute an attendance sheet for the students to pass around during class and sign.
After a week or so, it was apparent that the teacher was not looking at the attendance sheet.
So some students took liberties and signed whatever named they wanted.
By the time the attendance sheet got to me, it would be filled with names like "Mayor Koch" "LL Cool J" & "Roddy Piper". I would laugh like a loon each time I saw a familiar name. I of course, added such names as "Pete Rose" "Captain Lou Albano" and "Ron Wood" to our stellar roster of students.
Thanks to my in- class adviser, I was able to pass. I don't remember what grade I received, but I was happy that Mayor Koch did not mistakenly receive the math credits I needed to graduate.
I was the world's worst math student. There were more F's on my transcript than in an Andrew Dice Clay monologue. In high school, my first three years, I went to summer school for math. My senior year, I got a 70 in math. The lowest passing grade was ....70. It was if they were saying, "We know you can't count to 70, but here is your diploma." (I will not reveal the high school, other than to say the greatest Supreme Court Justice of them all is also an alumni, but somehow, I think he did better than me at math.)
In college, I was a political science major, and only had to take one math class. I waited to my last semester to take "Math Appreciation" and made sure a good friend took it with me to give me , you know, advice.
The first day of class and we find out that the teacher is an adjunct from Eastern Europe. He begins to take attendance. He is painfully shy and mispronounces a lot of names because English is not his first language.
Because he was so bad in pronouncing names, the next class, he decides to distribute an attendance sheet for the students to pass around during class and sign.
After a week or so, it was apparent that the teacher was not looking at the attendance sheet.
So some students took liberties and signed whatever named they wanted.
By the time the attendance sheet got to me, it would be filled with names like "Mayor Koch" "LL Cool J" & "Roddy Piper". I would laugh like a loon each time I saw a familiar name. I of course, added such names as "Pete Rose" "Captain Lou Albano" and "Ron Wood" to our stellar roster of students.
Thanks to my in- class adviser, I was able to pass. I don't remember what grade I received, but I was happy that Mayor Koch did not mistakenly receive the math credits I needed to graduate.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Teaching Ain't Easy
I think Math is the hardest thing to teach well. First, its boring as hell. Next, its harder than trying to explain to a liberal why welfare is not good for human beings. Plus, if you miss one step, it throws the whole thing off.
Its no wonder that New York City had to import math teachers from Europe; its a specialized skill that not to many people have.
Which brings me to Obama and his explaining of the various health care proposals.
Every time I see him trying to explain what he wants to do with the health care system, he comes off like a bad math teacher trying to fake his way through an equation.
And the citizens who have questions on it are like students who know more than the teacher. And the teacher faking his way through math has to hate that, right?
Why is the President with the golden tongue in need of the Heimlich maneuver whenever he talks about heath care?
It's because its really not his thing. He's really just not into it.
Here's the deal: Obama ran on two things (1) his biography; and (2) he did not support the war from the beginning. That's it.
Hillary ran on health care, so Obama grudgingly came up with a plan to offset Hillary during the primaries.
Obama needed to neutralize Hillary. And he did. Remember during the primaries the two of them debating who had the better health care proposal? It was unwatchable. No one knew what the hell they were talking about.
But it worked for Obama. During the late primaries, he was like a boxer who was assured of the judges decision if he just finish on his feet. By talking health care gibberish, Obama finished on his feet.
Which brings us to the current health care debate. When Democrats win the Oval Office there is something in their DNA which makes them want to nationalize health care as soon as they get into office.
Clinton had the bug (as well as other viruses) and now Obama has it. But Obama's heart is not in it. He is being pushed, by the political version of the Jon Benet Ramsay stage mother, Nancy Pelosi.
Seriously, if Obama was really passionate about health care, why did he give Congress/Senate full control in coming up with a bill? Wouldn't he want to lead on this?
Do you think Reagan would have left it to Congress to come up with tax or anti-Soviet policies?
God No. That was his passion.
Obama's passion is.... himself. He wrote two books, both of which covered the same subject: the life of Barack Obama. He was a law professor for 14 years, and did not write one paper. (Although he admits he rolled a few in his day.)
Back in the Chicago community organizing days, health care was so much easier. If someone needed it, Barack pointed people to the nearest welfare-social security-Medicaid office.
But when you plan on taking over 1/6 of the U.S. economy people will pick up their pitchforks and rise up.
The people don't understand "single payer option" when Barack is talking. But they do know that the government could not run OTB, so why trust the bureaucrats as your medical provider?
As of now, Barack is metaphorically speaking where Alexander Hamilton was when he accepted Aaron Burr's challenge to a duel. They both didn't want to be in that position, but they also both painted themselves into a corner.
Let's see how it plays out.
Its no wonder that New York City had to import math teachers from Europe; its a specialized skill that not to many people have.
Which brings me to Obama and his explaining of the various health care proposals.
Every time I see him trying to explain what he wants to do with the health care system, he comes off like a bad math teacher trying to fake his way through an equation.
And the citizens who have questions on it are like students who know more than the teacher. And the teacher faking his way through math has to hate that, right?
Why is the President with the golden tongue in need of the Heimlich maneuver whenever he talks about heath care?
It's because its really not his thing. He's really just not into it.
Here's the deal: Obama ran on two things (1) his biography; and (2) he did not support the war from the beginning. That's it.
Hillary ran on health care, so Obama grudgingly came up with a plan to offset Hillary during the primaries.
Obama needed to neutralize Hillary. And he did. Remember during the primaries the two of them debating who had the better health care proposal? It was unwatchable. No one knew what the hell they were talking about.
But it worked for Obama. During the late primaries, he was like a boxer who was assured of the judges decision if he just finish on his feet. By talking health care gibberish, Obama finished on his feet.
Which brings us to the current health care debate. When Democrats win the Oval Office there is something in their DNA which makes them want to nationalize health care as soon as they get into office.
Clinton had the bug (as well as other viruses) and now Obama has it. But Obama's heart is not in it. He is being pushed, by the political version of the Jon Benet Ramsay stage mother, Nancy Pelosi.
Seriously, if Obama was really passionate about health care, why did he give Congress/Senate full control in coming up with a bill? Wouldn't he want to lead on this?
Do you think Reagan would have left it to Congress to come up with tax or anti-Soviet policies?
God No. That was his passion.
Obama's passion is.... himself. He wrote two books, both of which covered the same subject: the life of Barack Obama. He was a law professor for 14 years, and did not write one paper. (Although he admits he rolled a few in his day.)
Back in the Chicago community organizing days, health care was so much easier. If someone needed it, Barack pointed people to the nearest welfare-social security-Medicaid office.
But when you plan on taking over 1/6 of the U.S. economy people will pick up their pitchforks and rise up.
The people don't understand "single payer option" when Barack is talking. But they do know that the government could not run OTB, so why trust the bureaucrats as your medical provider?
As of now, Barack is metaphorically speaking where Alexander Hamilton was when he accepted Aaron Burr's challenge to a duel. They both didn't want to be in that position, but they also both painted themselves into a corner.
Let's see how it plays out.
I'm Calling It "The Gil"
(The Mets celebrated the 40th anniversary of the miracle '69 Mets this weekend. All the old players mentioned how instrumental Gil Hodges was in the most improbable championship in American sports history. It just reinforced what I wrote below, when the Mets announced the new stadium would be called "Citi Field".)
"Gil Hodges is a Hall of Fame man.”-- Roy Campanella
As we all know, this is the last year for Shea Stadium. Next year, the Mets move next door to the stadium they are calling "Citifield", named after the financial services company Citigroup.
Before the Mets announced that they were going to name the new Stadium Citifield, a lot of media put pressure on the Mets to name the Stadium "Jackie Robinson Stadium".
After the Mets took the Citigroup cash, they compromised with the Robinson supporters by agreeing to put a Jackie Robinson Rotunda when you enter the Stadium. (The Mets also sent cash over to the Jackie Robinson Foundation to squash things.)
I will never call it Citifield. Nor do I think the Jackie Robinson Rotunda is a good idea. Let me explain:
Public works and public monuments should be named after the people who made it possible, or to honor those who came before us. It should be rooted in history. For example, Grand Army Plaza honors the Civil War heroes. If it were changed to "Kinko's Grand Army Plaza" it would be diminished.
Again, the Mets are free to take the cash, even if Citigroup, after running out of Arab countries to borrow money from, goes the way of Bear Stearns, and they have to find another corporation to pony up.
As for the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, I think it is a bad idea. Jackie Robinson is the most honored athlete in American sports history. His legacy is established, and honors upon honors have been bestowed upon the man. There is even an expressway named after him that gets you to the ballpark.
The problem is, Robinson has zero connection with the Mets. Nothing. Never played for them, never worked for them. Although the Mets, like every major league team, have retired the number 42 in his honor, somehow, I think 'Butch Huskey" when I think of a Met wearing number 42.
While Robinson has received every accolade, the man I am naming the stadium after has been fu*ked by major league baseball, and denied the honors that he richly deserves.
I am calling the Stadium "The Gil" after the great Gil Hodges.
Is there really anyone else?
Is there anyone else who embodies the necessary connection between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Mets?
Hodges was a Navy Man, a World War II hero, winning the Bronze Star for his heroics Okinawa.
He was a family man, married to Joan, with whom he had four children.
He was a Brooklyn man, a beloved Brooklyn man, who lived in Brooklyn and worked in Brooklyn.
The job he had in Brooklyn: being one of the best first basemen who ever lived. Consider:
1) When Hodges retired, his 370 home runs were the 2nd most of any right-handed hitter in baseball history; and 10th most of all time.
2) He drove in 100 runs for seven consecutive years (Mickey Mantle drove in 100 runs four times in his career).
3) From 1957 until 1974, he held the National League record for most career grand slams.
4) He was an anchor for the great Brooklyn Dodger teams.
5) He won the first three golden glove awards given to first basemen.
But it goes beyond the statistics.
There is a book that came out a couple of years ago "Praying For Gil Hodges". The title comes from Gil's slump during the 1952 World Series. In Brooklyn churches priests urged their parishioners to pray for Gil Hodges, to get him out of the slump. And they did. And he didn't get out of the slump. But they never held it against him, and they never booed him. Think that can happen again?
As for his Met credentials, Gil was an Original Met. Who was the first Met to hit a home run? Gil, of course.
But it was as manager of the Miracle 69 Mets where Gil cemented his legacy forever. His no nonsense approach was best illustrated by his slowing walking out to left field to take Cleon Jones out of a game during the pennant race for not hustling. (How many times has Ralph Kiner told that one?)
Gil set the tone. Pitching. Defense. Timely hitting. Tom Seaver calls him the most important man to ever wear a Met uniform. Forty years after the fact, the young men who played for him are not so young any more, and still speak of him in reverential tones.
The Mets won the World Series in 1969, three months after the first man landed on the moon. Both were indications that all things were possible. He was our Neil Armstrong, in white, blue & orange.
In the spring of 1972 he was tragically taken away from us. He was just 47 years old.
He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Major League Baseball has never done the right thing by Gil Hodges. That he is not in the Hall of Fame is a disgrace. The Mets also dropped the ball here, by not honoring Hodges with either the Stadium name or the Rotunda.
So I will honor him.
If you hear me say "Meet me at "The Gil" you will know what I mean.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
It Takes Big Balls (Literally) To Be President
To a lot of people, President Lyndon Baines Johnson was larger than life. Apparently, so were his balls. Click the link below. Or copy & paste it to your browser. You will hear a telephone conversation between President Johnson and his tailor.(There is also a running transcript so it is easy to keep up.) Johnson orders some pants from the tailor, instructing him to give plenty of room in the crotch area, cause his balls are big. This tape is also notable because it is the first time an American President has used the word "bunghole".
In all seriousness, I find Johnson an endlessly fascinating American figure, (not because of his balls) and plan on visiting his Presidential Library down in Austin.
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/prestapes/lbj_haggar.html
In all seriousness, I find Johnson an endlessly fascinating American figure, (not because of his balls) and plan on visiting his Presidential Library down in Austin.
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/prestapes/lbj_haggar.html
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Give It A More Deserving Name
The other day I was on the Triborough Bridge, and it occurred to me: its not the Triborough Bridge anymore. Last year, in a very pompous ceremony, the TBTA renamed the Triborough Bridge after Robert F. Kennedy.
This is a real head -scratcher for me. You see, most public works are named after people who had something to do with their creation, or helped promote that particular field. Thus, I understand naming a Space Program after John Kennedy or an Airport after Fiorello LaGuardia.
Hell, I would even support naming a whorehouse after Elliot Spitzer.
But renaming the Triborough bridge after Robert Kennedy? What is the connection between RFK and the Triborough bridge? Or more generally, what is the connection between RFK and public works?
There is no connection.
The Triborough bridge is yet another one of Robert Moses' public works. It is a engineering marvel that connects Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. It opened in July, 1936- 28 years before RFK became a NY Senator and 25 years before RFK as Attorney General, began illegally wiretapping Martin Luther King.
Wouldn't an illegal phone monitoring device be a more appropriate thing to name after RFK?
As for the Kennedy family, you would think they would have a little humility about bridges, after Uncle Teddy "The Swimmer" and his history with bridges.
It's like a knife manufacturer coming out with the "O.J. Simpson Steak Knife Collection."
Finally, in all seriousness, if you want to rename the Triborough Bridge, why not name it after one of the great engineers or architects that worked under Robert Moses and had a pivotal role in its creation? These men have been lost to history, something that the Kennedy family does not have to worry about.
Friday, August 21, 2009
One Hand Washes The Other Hand-In Oil
Read some tea leaves:
Soros Hedge Fund Bought Petrobras Stake Worth $811 MillionBy Jeb Blount and Miles Weiss
Aug. 15 (Bloomberg) — Billionaire investor George Soros bought an $811 million stake in Petroleo Brasileiro SA in the second quarter, making the Brazilian state-controlled oil company his investment fund’s largest holding.
As of June 30, the stake in Petrobras, as the Rio de Janeiro-based oil producer is known, made up 22 percent of the $3.68 billion of stocks and American depositary receipts held by Soros Fund Management LLC, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Obama Underwrites Offshore Drilling
Too bad it’s not in U.S. waters
Wall Street Journal
AUGUST 18, 2009
You read that headline correctly. Unfortunately, the Obama Administration is financing oil exploration off Brazil.
The U.S. is going to lend billions of dollars to Brazil’s state-owned oil company, Petrobras, to finance exploration of the huge offshore discovery in Brazil’s Tupi oil field in the Santos Basin near Rio de Janeiro. Brazil’s planning minister confirmed that White House National Security Adviser James Jones met this month with Brazilian officials to talk about the loan.
The U.S. Export-Import Bank tells us it has issued a “preliminary commitment” letter to Petrobras in the amount of $2 billion and has discussed with Brazil the possibility of increasing that amount. Ex-Im Bank says it has not decided whether the money will come in the form of a direct loan or loan guarantees. Either way, this corporate foreign aid may strike some readers as odd, given that the U.S. Treasury seems desperate for cash and Petrobras is one of the largest corporations in the Americas.
But look on the bright side. If President Obama has embraced offshore drilling in Brazil, why not in the old U.S.A.? The land of the sorta free and the home of the heavily indebted has enormous offshore oil deposits, and last year ahead of the November elections, with gasoline at $4 a gallon, Congress let a ban on offshore drilling expire.
Junior's Take:
Let's get this straight: Within the last few months, George Soros invests almost a billion dollars in Petrobras, a Brazilian oil company. In addition, within the last few days, Obama has agreed to lend the same company billions of dollars for off shore drilling.
There are so many angles to this story, I would need a protractor to correctly identify them all.
Here's a quick take on a few:
Off Shore Drilling Subsidized By U.S. Tax Dollars
The president campaigned time and time again on the following themes: we can't "drill our way" out of an energy shortage, there is not enough oil available so drilling is not feasible, drilling is bad for the environment, and instead of drilling for oil, we should keep the tires of our cars properly inflated.
After all of that lecturing from behind the podium (with the teleprompter), Obama now is ponying up billions of U.S. dollars to promote the evil practice of off shore drilling... in Brazil?
What gives?
Has he changed his mind on this? Does he think drilling is feasible now because there is more oil? Is it no longer unpatriotic to not keep our tires inflated to the max?
Can he give us an explanation here on his shift? Don't count on it.
The shameful thing is here we are losing hundreds of thousands of jobs each quarter. Families and communities are devastated by massive job losses.
Off shore drilling in the U.S. would create a lot of great, high paying jobs to a nation desperate for jobs. But instead, Obama gives the money to Brazil, so that Brazilians get these jobs-instead of Americans.
Shameful.
Soros-Obama Connection
George Soros is closer to Obama than Don Zimmer was to Joe Torre in the Yankee dugout. He has given tons of money, and held fundraisers for Obama. Moreover, he has given money to every whacked out organization that Soros thinks will help bring down America.
Remember, a few years ago, Soros wrote a book "The Bubble of American Supremacy". Think about the title. In Soros' view, America is a bubble that needs to be popped. And by popping that bubble, America will be brought down to the level of the rest of the world, which is crucial to Soros' one world philosophy.
Whenever Soros give money to some U.S. organization, that organization must be doing something that would help Soros achieve his goal of lessening America's global power.
Why else would he give it?
Lets get back to the transaction at hand. Soros invests almost a billion dollars, his biggest holding in Petrobras. Obama follows that up with a 2 billion dollar loan to the same company.
Hey, where are all the people who screamed "Haliburton" for 8 years? (When Bush was president, I heard the word "Haliburton" more than the words "Halle Berry".)
Was there insider trading going on? Did Soros know about upcoming U.S. loans? Are you telling me Soros makes the biggest investment he has on the books, and he is not wired into forthcoming U.S. loans into the same company? It would not be the first time this one-worlder has engaged in insider trading- he was convicted in France for insider trading.
Remember how right after 9-11, an Arab sheik wanted to donate 10 million dollars to charity relief efforts? While he was presenting the check to Mayor Giuliani, he said the U.S. had to take some responsibility for what happened on 9-11. Rudy stopped him dead in his tracks, handed him back the check, and just about kicked the guy in the ass.
I wish Obama had a little bit of Rudy in him, especially when it comes to one-world billionaires with insider trading convictions whose intention is bring America into the European Union.
Soros Hedge Fund Bought Petrobras Stake Worth $811 MillionBy Jeb Blount and Miles Weiss
Aug. 15 (Bloomberg) — Billionaire investor George Soros bought an $811 million stake in Petroleo Brasileiro SA in the second quarter, making the Brazilian state-controlled oil company his investment fund’s largest holding.
As of June 30, the stake in Petrobras, as the Rio de Janeiro-based oil producer is known, made up 22 percent of the $3.68 billion of stocks and American depositary receipts held by Soros Fund Management LLC, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Obama Underwrites Offshore Drilling
Too bad it’s not in U.S. waters
Wall Street Journal
AUGUST 18, 2009
You read that headline correctly. Unfortunately, the Obama Administration is financing oil exploration off Brazil.
The U.S. is going to lend billions of dollars to Brazil’s state-owned oil company, Petrobras, to finance exploration of the huge offshore discovery in Brazil’s Tupi oil field in the Santos Basin near Rio de Janeiro. Brazil’s planning minister confirmed that White House National Security Adviser James Jones met this month with Brazilian officials to talk about the loan.
The U.S. Export-Import Bank tells us it has issued a “preliminary commitment” letter to Petrobras in the amount of $2 billion and has discussed with Brazil the possibility of increasing that amount. Ex-Im Bank says it has not decided whether the money will come in the form of a direct loan or loan guarantees. Either way, this corporate foreign aid may strike some readers as odd, given that the U.S. Treasury seems desperate for cash and Petrobras is one of the largest corporations in the Americas.
But look on the bright side. If President Obama has embraced offshore drilling in Brazil, why not in the old U.S.A.? The land of the sorta free and the home of the heavily indebted has enormous offshore oil deposits, and last year ahead of the November elections, with gasoline at $4 a gallon, Congress let a ban on offshore drilling expire.
Junior's Take:
Let's get this straight: Within the last few months, George Soros invests almost a billion dollars in Petrobras, a Brazilian oil company. In addition, within the last few days, Obama has agreed to lend the same company billions of dollars for off shore drilling.
There are so many angles to this story, I would need a protractor to correctly identify them all.
Here's a quick take on a few:
Off Shore Drilling Subsidized By U.S. Tax Dollars
The president campaigned time and time again on the following themes: we can't "drill our way" out of an energy shortage, there is not enough oil available so drilling is not feasible, drilling is bad for the environment, and instead of drilling for oil, we should keep the tires of our cars properly inflated.
After all of that lecturing from behind the podium (with the teleprompter), Obama now is ponying up billions of U.S. dollars to promote the evil practice of off shore drilling... in Brazil?
What gives?
Has he changed his mind on this? Does he think drilling is feasible now because there is more oil? Is it no longer unpatriotic to not keep our tires inflated to the max?
Can he give us an explanation here on his shift? Don't count on it.
The shameful thing is here we are losing hundreds of thousands of jobs each quarter. Families and communities are devastated by massive job losses.
Off shore drilling in the U.S. would create a lot of great, high paying jobs to a nation desperate for jobs. But instead, Obama gives the money to Brazil, so that Brazilians get these jobs-instead of Americans.
Shameful.
Soros-Obama Connection
George Soros is closer to Obama than Don Zimmer was to Joe Torre in the Yankee dugout. He has given tons of money, and held fundraisers for Obama. Moreover, he has given money to every whacked out organization that Soros thinks will help bring down America.
Remember, a few years ago, Soros wrote a book "The Bubble of American Supremacy". Think about the title. In Soros' view, America is a bubble that needs to be popped. And by popping that bubble, America will be brought down to the level of the rest of the world, which is crucial to Soros' one world philosophy.
Whenever Soros give money to some U.S. organization, that organization must be doing something that would help Soros achieve his goal of lessening America's global power.
Why else would he give it?
Lets get back to the transaction at hand. Soros invests almost a billion dollars, his biggest holding in Petrobras. Obama follows that up with a 2 billion dollar loan to the same company.
Hey, where are all the people who screamed "Haliburton" for 8 years? (When Bush was president, I heard the word "Haliburton" more than the words "Halle Berry".)
Was there insider trading going on? Did Soros know about upcoming U.S. loans? Are you telling me Soros makes the biggest investment he has on the books, and he is not wired into forthcoming U.S. loans into the same company? It would not be the first time this one-worlder has engaged in insider trading- he was convicted in France for insider trading.
Remember how right after 9-11, an Arab sheik wanted to donate 10 million dollars to charity relief efforts? While he was presenting the check to Mayor Giuliani, he said the U.S. had to take some responsibility for what happened on 9-11. Rudy stopped him dead in his tracks, handed him back the check, and just about kicked the guy in the ass.
I wish Obama had a little bit of Rudy in him, especially when it comes to one-world billionaires with insider trading convictions whose intention is bring America into the European Union.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Lay Them Down
Tell them to put their guns down! Put your guns down!
Sonny, Dog Day Afternoon
Did you see the other day when the President was speaking in an outdoor rally in Arizona, some people in the crowd were openly carrying guns and even assault rifles? (See the link below.)
Lets break it down like a fraction: Yes, I am a second amendment advocate, and strongly believe that the right to bear arms is a civil right, just as free speech, the right to worship, the right to assembly and numerous other rights enshrined in the constitution are civil rights. And I also realize and respect Arizona's laws grant citizens the right to publicly carry firearms.
Does that mean that I think citizens should be allowed to publicly bear arms when they are in the same room, arena or outdoor event as the President of the United States?
No I do not. In my view, the Secret Service should grab these people, take them off the street, and question them in a dimly lit room for about 20 hours. And that's the least they should do.
If the following is your thought process: "I am going to see the president speak. I'm also bringing an assault rifle to the event for all to see"-then you need to be fully investigated by the feds.
I saw the footage and I was outraged. It seemed like something you would see in banana republics, or third world governments about to be taken over by the next junta.
Yes, I know that the Secret Service had snipers trained on each of these people, and were ready to put more holes into these gun carriers than the current health care bill if they made a move.
But it should not come to that. We have three branches of the federal government. The executive branch, unlike the others, is represented by one person-the President.
To put one entire branch of government at risk because people want to carry firearms to Presidential events is nuts. Arizona law, in this case, has to give way to federal concerns regarding the safety of the executive branch. Federal law should preempt state law is this case.
Bottom line: keep your guns, but also keep them far away from the American President.
Did you see the other day when the President was speaking in an outdoor rally in Arizona, some people in the crowd were openly carrying guns and even assault rifles? (See the link below.)
Lets break it down like a fraction: Yes, I am a second amendment advocate, and strongly believe that the right to bear arms is a civil right, just as free speech, the right to worship, the right to assembly and numerous other rights enshrined in the constitution are civil rights. And I also realize and respect Arizona's laws grant citizens the right to publicly carry firearms.
Does that mean that I think citizens should be allowed to publicly bear arms when they are in the same room, arena or outdoor event as the President of the United States?
No I do not. In my view, the Secret Service should grab these people, take them off the street, and question them in a dimly lit room for about 20 hours. And that's the least they should do.
If the following is your thought process: "I am going to see the president speak. I'm also bringing an assault rifle to the event for all to see"-then you need to be fully investigated by the feds.
I saw the footage and I was outraged. It seemed like something you would see in banana republics, or third world governments about to be taken over by the next junta.
Yes, I know that the Secret Service had snipers trained on each of these people, and were ready to put more holes into these gun carriers than the current health care bill if they made a move.
But it should not come to that. We have three branches of the federal government. The executive branch, unlike the others, is represented by one person-the President.
To put one entire branch of government at risk because people want to carry firearms to Presidential events is nuts. Arizona law, in this case, has to give way to federal concerns regarding the safety of the executive branch. Federal law should preempt state law is this case.
Bottom line: keep your guns, but also keep them far away from the American President.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Ban This Practice
There is at least one issue in which I confess to be very liberal. Its libraries. I love for my (and your) tax dollars to be spent on public libraries. The more the merrier. I would love if Mayor Bloomberg, on his last day in office, opened up his massive wallet to ensure 24 hr. libraries in each borough.
So I was saddened to read in today's NY Times that my favorite library, the main branch of the Brooklyn Public library, is in the business of banning books.
Apparently they banned this French cartoon book on the basis that it offended Africans. The library has a committee that hears complaints and decides which books to ban.
Memo to the Brooklyn Public Library:
I thought we won the Cold War? Librarians are supposed to stand strong against censorship; not set up committees to ban books. Yes, some books offend. But if you banned all books that offended someone, the bookshelves would be bare, and the number of books left would be less than the number of people who would leave their dogs with Michael Vick when they go on vacation.
The only thing more offensive than the Brooklyn Public Library banning books would be if they came up with a new section: " The History of French Military Victories".
Stop this Stalinist practice.
So I was saddened to read in today's NY Times that my favorite library, the main branch of the Brooklyn Public library, is in the business of banning books.
Apparently they banned this French cartoon book on the basis that it offended Africans. The library has a committee that hears complaints and decides which books to ban.
Memo to the Brooklyn Public Library:
I thought we won the Cold War? Librarians are supposed to stand strong against censorship; not set up committees to ban books. Yes, some books offend. But if you banned all books that offended someone, the bookshelves would be bare, and the number of books left would be less than the number of people who would leave their dogs with Michael Vick when they go on vacation.
The only thing more offensive than the Brooklyn Public Library banning books would be if they came up with a new section: " The History of French Military Victories".
Stop this Stalinist practice.
No one speaks or writes more eloquently on the importance of libraries than Pete Hamill. Click the link below to find out how libraries influenced Hamill-especially the Park Slope branch on 6th Avenue between 8th & 9th Street.
Libraries Face Sad Chapter
Libraries Face Sad Chapter
Letter to a Black Female Friend
(This was a response to a friend during the last days of the 2008 Presidential Election. Her argument was that the polls indicated Obama had it in the bag, I argued that you can't trust the polls. She was right.)
Tonja:
As one of the three black women in America willing to speak to me (the other two: being Condoleezza Rice & Colin Powell's wife) after my vigorous support of John McCain, I respect your independence. However, your judgment here is more erratic than a drunken R Kelly hanging out in front of a All Girls Junior High School.
You say I should listen to the polls. I would rather listen to the walls. They have proven to be more accurate. Why should I listen to the polls when this time of the year, they always underrepresent the vote for the Republican candidate? Check out the data:
In 1976, Jimmy Carter narrowly beat Gerald Ford 50.1 percent to 48 percent. And yet, on Sept. 1, Carter led Ford by 15 points.
Just weeks before the election, on Oct. 16, 1976, Carter led Ford in the Gallup Poll by 6 percentage points -- down from his 33-point Gallup Poll lead in August.
In 1980, Ronald Reagan beat Carter by nearly 10 points, 51 percent to 41 percent. In a Gallup Poll released days before the election on Oct. 27, it was Carter who led Reagan 45 percent to 42 percent.
In 1984, Reagan walloped Walter Mondale 58.8 percent to 40 percent, -- the largest electoral landslide in U.S. history. But on Oct. 15, The New York Daily News published a poll showing Mondale with only a 4-point deficit to Reagan, 45 percent to 41 percent.
In 1988, George H.W. Bush beat Michael Dukakis by a whopping 53.4 percent to 45.6 percent. A New York Times/CBS News Poll on Oct. 5 had Bush leading by a statistically insignificant 2 points -- 45 percent to 43 percent.
In 1992, Bill Clinton beat the first President Bush 43 percent to 37.7 percent. (Ross Perot got 18.9 percent of Bush's voters that year.) On Oct. 18, a Newsweek Poll had Clinton winning 46 percent to 31 percent, and a CBS News Poll showed Clinton winning 47 percent to 35 percent. So in 1992, the polls had Clinton 12 to 15 points ahead, but he won by only 5.3 points.
All of this indicates to me that ACORN not only manipulates that voter rolls, but they must be in charge of the polls as well.
As far as your claim that no one cares about ACORN or Ayers, that will be decided on November 4.
Lets be clear about Ayers, though. If a Republican Presidential Candidate began his political career by having a fund raiser in the living room of a member of the KKK who bombed black churches, I'm sure that would not matter to you, right? Oh, I forgot, if that same KKK member said 20 years after the bombings, he wished he bombed more black churches, that would not be relevant. Right? Please. That candidate would not be eligible for dog catcher in modern America. And you would point that out every day. And that is why I point out the Ayers and Obama relationship every day.
As for me being a sore loser, it seems to me that has yet to be decided. Let's take your premise: McCain loses. Would I be a "sore loser?" Probably not. I am not the picket sign type. However, if the margin of victory is 50 votes in a swing state, and all 50 voters registered as "Old Dirty Bastard" I reserve the right to be a sore loser.
Tonja:
As one of the three black women in America willing to speak to me (the other two: being Condoleezza Rice & Colin Powell's wife) after my vigorous support of John McCain, I respect your independence. However, your judgment here is more erratic than a drunken R Kelly hanging out in front of a All Girls Junior High School.
You say I should listen to the polls. I would rather listen to the walls. They have proven to be more accurate. Why should I listen to the polls when this time of the year, they always underrepresent the vote for the Republican candidate? Check out the data:
In 1976, Jimmy Carter narrowly beat Gerald Ford 50.1 percent to 48 percent. And yet, on Sept. 1, Carter led Ford by 15 points.
Just weeks before the election, on Oct. 16, 1976, Carter led Ford in the Gallup Poll by 6 percentage points -- down from his 33-point Gallup Poll lead in August.
In 1980, Ronald Reagan beat Carter by nearly 10 points, 51 percent to 41 percent. In a Gallup Poll released days before the election on Oct. 27, it was Carter who led Reagan 45 percent to 42 percent.
In 1984, Reagan walloped Walter Mondale 58.8 percent to 40 percent, -- the largest electoral landslide in U.S. history. But on Oct. 15, The New York Daily News published a poll showing Mondale with only a 4-point deficit to Reagan, 45 percent to 41 percent.
In 1988, George H.W. Bush beat Michael Dukakis by a whopping 53.4 percent to 45.6 percent. A New York Times/CBS News Poll on Oct. 5 had Bush leading by a statistically insignificant 2 points -- 45 percent to 43 percent.
In 1992, Bill Clinton beat the first President Bush 43 percent to 37.7 percent. (Ross Perot got 18.9 percent of Bush's voters that year.) On Oct. 18, a Newsweek Poll had Clinton winning 46 percent to 31 percent, and a CBS News Poll showed Clinton winning 47 percent to 35 percent. So in 1992, the polls had Clinton 12 to 15 points ahead, but he won by only 5.3 points.
All of this indicates to me that ACORN not only manipulates that voter rolls, but they must be in charge of the polls as well.
As far as your claim that no one cares about ACORN or Ayers, that will be decided on November 4.
Lets be clear about Ayers, though. If a Republican Presidential Candidate began his political career by having a fund raiser in the living room of a member of the KKK who bombed black churches, I'm sure that would not matter to you, right? Oh, I forgot, if that same KKK member said 20 years after the bombings, he wished he bombed more black churches, that would not be relevant. Right? Please. That candidate would not be eligible for dog catcher in modern America. And you would point that out every day. And that is why I point out the Ayers and Obama relationship every day.
As for me being a sore loser, it seems to me that has yet to be decided. Let's take your premise: McCain loses. Would I be a "sore loser?" Probably not. I am not the picket sign type. However, if the margin of victory is 50 votes in a swing state, and all 50 voters registered as "Old Dirty Bastard" I reserve the right to be a sore loser.
Listen to Nat Hentoff
Nat Hentoff is among America's foremost civil libertarians. He wrote for the Village Voice for decades. He has hammered just about every administration since Eisenhower for civil liberties infractions. But he was never afraid of any White House proposal. Until now.
Hentoff has a column today entitled "I Am Finally Scared of a White House Administration". He sees these health care proposals for what they truly are: government control of basic health care decisions, the rationing of health care, and end of life decisions decided by government bureaucrats.
Money quote:
I was not intimidated during J. Edgar Hoover's FBI hunt for reporters like me who criticized him. I railed against the Bush-Cheney war on the Bill of Rights without blinking. But now I am finally scared of a White House administration. President Obama's desired health care reform intends that a federal board (similar to the British model) — as in the Center for Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation in a current Democratic bill — decides whether your quality of life, regardless of your political party, merits government-controlled funds to keep you alive. Watch for that life-decider in the final bill. It's already in the stimulus bill signed into law. - Nat Hentoff
Hentoff has a column today entitled "I Am Finally Scared of a White House Administration". He sees these health care proposals for what they truly are: government control of basic health care decisions, the rationing of health care, and end of life decisions decided by government bureaucrats.
Money quote:
I was not intimidated during J. Edgar Hoover's FBI hunt for reporters like me who criticized him. I railed against the Bush-Cheney war on the Bill of Rights without blinking. But now I am finally scared of a White House administration. President Obama's desired health care reform intends that a federal board (similar to the British model) — as in the Center for Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation in a current Democratic bill — decides whether your quality of life, regardless of your political party, merits government-controlled funds to keep you alive. Watch for that life-decider in the final bill. It's already in the stimulus bill signed into law. - Nat Hentoff
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/hentoff081909.php3
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Bob Novak: We Will Not See His Kind Again
The Stoop would like to take the time to recognize the great contributions made to this country by long time Washington reporter Bob Novak, who passed away earlier today.
Bob Novak's column (either solo, or with long time partner Rollie Evans) was must read journalism. Novak always adhered to his credo which stated each column must not only have an opinion, but it always must contain news that has not previously been published.
You see, Novak came from a time when you had to do your own research. You had to cross-check, and you had to cultivate sources.
He put the shoe leather into the job. He did not twitter his way through a 50 year career in journalism.
Leaving aside print journalism, Novak was a founding father of cable TV political talk/debate shows. The man had more TV shows than Dick Van Dyke. I used to love to watch Novak & Buchanan on Crossfire. I would come away thinking that the tag-team of Novak & Buchanan was better than anything Vince McMahon could have come up with.
Novak's death is the latest in a recent string of deaths of irreplaceable journalist/writers: Buckley, Mailer, Russert, Halberstam & Snow.
These men have left the stage to a bunch of Canal Street knock- off watches: Olbermann, Madow & Blitzer.
The sad thing is I cannot think of an under 40 writer/journalist that I feel I must see or read.
But I always read & watched Novak.
He will be greatly missed.
Bob Novak's column (either solo, or with long time partner Rollie Evans) was must read journalism. Novak always adhered to his credo which stated each column must not only have an opinion, but it always must contain news that has not previously been published.
You see, Novak came from a time when you had to do your own research. You had to cross-check, and you had to cultivate sources.
He put the shoe leather into the job. He did not twitter his way through a 50 year career in journalism.
Leaving aside print journalism, Novak was a founding father of cable TV political talk/debate shows. The man had more TV shows than Dick Van Dyke. I used to love to watch Novak & Buchanan on Crossfire. I would come away thinking that the tag-team of Novak & Buchanan was better than anything Vince McMahon could have come up with.
Novak's death is the latest in a recent string of deaths of irreplaceable journalist/writers: Buckley, Mailer, Russert, Halberstam & Snow.
These men have left the stage to a bunch of Canal Street knock- off watches: Olbermann, Madow & Blitzer.
The sad thing is I cannot think of an under 40 writer/journalist that I feel I must see or read.
But I always read & watched Novak.
He will be greatly missed.
Duke: The Rape No One Wants To Tell You About
If I said to you "Did you hear about the Duke rape case?" How would you reply? I'm guessing 99 of you would refer to the lacrosse case, while one would say "Coach K raped somebody?"
But I am not referring to the lacrosse hoax. I am referring to something that if the arrest warrant is true, is unspeakably evil. And the fact that the media has not told you about it tells you everything you need to know about the main stream media.
Frank Lombard is the Associate Director of Health Policy at Duke University. In June Lombard was arrested by the FBI for child molestation.
I have read the arrest warrant, and the case is as sick as can be imagined. I will not get into the specific graphic details, but you should know the following:
Lombard lives with his gay partner (who is not implicated in this case) and has an adopted 5 year old African-American child.
On at least three occasions Lombard was seen on a webcam engaged in molesting his adopted son.
Chat transcripts released when Lombard was arrested show Lombard was asked on-line how he had access to the child. Lombard responded that he adopted the child, and it is easy to adopt black children.
Lombard allowed others to molest his adopted son as well.
Lombard is alleged to have told the undercover on-line investigator, that he could have his way with the child if he flew to the Raleigh/Durham area.
The media has chosen to bury this story. Why? If the lacrosse team was fair game to slander and condemn without a shred of credible evidence, where is the outrage over this twisted f**k?
Where are the high and mighty Duke professors? They signed on, as a group, 88 faculty members in all, in condemning the lacrosse team members via a protest letter. Where are these 88 faculty members in this matter?
Nobody lives a more pie-in-the sky existence than faculty members with tenure. I remember a couple of years back, a New York Law School professor was busted for kiddie porn on his school computer. It was discovered when his computer was down, and the professor called school technicians to fix it.
The amount of kiddie porn found on this professor both on his computer at work and in his home, was the largest ever confiscated by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Yet incredibly, the school faculty stood by this animal. Their deranged arguments ranged from "its a victimless crime" to "academic freedom". Yes, these are the people in charge of developing young minds. (Oh, and guess what? The techy who discovered the kiddie porn and properly reported it was later fired by the school.)
So I really don't expect much real-world outrage from the ivy tower.
But the main-stream media should be all over this. Why haven't they?
It's the gay adoption part of the story that has the media running away from this story like Michael Vick running away from a bunch of revenge-minded pit bulls.
Think about it: You cannot report this story without explaining how Lombard had access to the child. If Lombard grabbed the kid in a department store we would have known about it because the media would have reported it.
But Lombard is openly gay and adopted a male child that he allegedly raped and offered too others to rape as well.
The media is afraid that if this case if publicly known, it would hurt the cause of gay adoption.
So they bury it.
Tell me what else would explain the lack of coverage?
Monday, August 17, 2009
Watch Out For Radio Silence
(Last October, I wrote that Obama's election would lead to the Fairness Doctrine being passed and signed into legislation. The Fairness Doctrine is a pre-Internet law that stated that the public airways always had to have the same number of hrs. dedicated to each political opinion. I'm sure it would be unconstitutional now. But Schumer and Pelosi support it because they want to eliminate dissent on talk radio. After calling government health care protesters illegitimate because they dressed well and were organized, its apparent the left still has a hard time when people just don't see things their way. So watch out for this.)
This is radio clash from pirate satellite
Orbiting your living room,
Cashing in the bill of rights- The Clash
We gonna chase those crazy
-Chase them crazy
-Chase those crazy baldheads out of town!- Bob Marley
If you took a chandelier to the top of Empire State Building and threw it to the ground on 5th Avenue, no matter how many pieces it would shatter into, it still would be less than the number of ways an OBAMA-REID-PELOSI American government would mess up America.
As Alec Baldwin said in Glengary GlennRoss: "Think I am f**king with you? I am not f**king with you."
One major way that an Obama presidency would irreparably damage this country is in the area of free speech.
What the liberal Congress and Senate want to do in this area is so Un-American, so twisted, that I shed a tear like that Indian in that old pollution commercial when I think about its chilling effects.
What am I talking about? It's a piece of legislation called the "Fairness Doctrine" that the Pelosi gang will pass faster than it would take Justin Tuck to break the rest of Tony Romo's fingers- if he was man enough to play this Sunday against the Giants.
What is the Fairness Doctrine? It basically states that the airwaves are the property of the government, and thus the government has the right to tell television stations and radio stations what they have to broadcast, in the name of "Fairness".
Why do Liberal Politicians love the Fairness Doctrine? Because they get use it to get rid of what they perceive to be their enemy in America: Talk Radio.
Here is how it works: WABC in New York City is one of the most successful radio stations in the world. It is hugely profitable. It makes its money by selling advertising to its talk radio programs. Since it fired that rat Ron Kuby, WABC Radio hosts are all conservative Icons. Rush. Hannity. Mark Levin. And that Godfather of the conservative talk radio industry, the honorable Bob Grant.
What the Stalinist Leftist Pelosi wants to do is say to WABC radio: " You need more politically balanced broadcasters. You need to hire x number of liberal hosts to make it fair." If WABC doesn't do what Pelosi says, they lose their broadcasting license.
Let's be frank: If you think the government should be in the business of deciding political content that should be on the airwaves, you are a Stalinist.
It would be like the Government telling the New York Times they have to hire Pat Buchanan and get rid of Bob Herbert.
How would you like them apples?
Think about the mentality that one must have to support the Fairness Act. You have to be a twisted f**k to say "We have to get them off the air!"
Me: I am a free speech man. Hard core. The crazier, the better, I say. I love the Keith Olbermann's the Phil Donahue's and Chris Matthews. Let them expose themselves, I say. Makes it easier for me to make my case.
I look at the Olbermann types like I see those 12 tribes of Israel crazy brothers. Once you hear them, it makes it easier to dismiss them.
Truth be known, talk radio is dear to my heart. It's a place where Americans go to talk about grievances we have with the government. Its for people who don't find their issues discussed in the mainstream media.
The callers and hosts are the Thomas Paine's of modern America. Talk radio is where the Contract for America was born, which led to the Democrats losing the majority in Congress after a 40 year rule. It's where New Yorkers frustrated with Cuomo and Dinkins got together to plan & plot their successful ouster. It's entertaining as hell, as it has to be, or it would be replaced by something more profitable.
Its not like liberals are barred from having their own talk radio shows or stations. Its just that every attempt has failed more than Ted Kennedy has at taking a Breathalyzer. Mario Cuomo had a talk show. Drivers were falling asleep at the wheel all over the country. Air America is a nationwide network of liberal talk show hosts. It gets about 4 listeners a day, with two of them Howard Stern prank callers.
Liberals have wanted to squash talk radio for years and years. Bill Clinton even blamed talk radio for the Oklahoma City bombing! With an Obama presidency, the jack- booted leaders of the extreme left will be able to kick free speech on talk radio down the stairs.
Think I am f**king with u?
I'm not.
This is radio clash from pirate satellite
Orbiting your living room,
Cashing in the bill of rights- The Clash
We gonna chase those crazy
-Chase them crazy
-Chase those crazy baldheads out of town!- Bob Marley
If you took a chandelier to the top of Empire State Building and threw it to the ground on 5th Avenue, no matter how many pieces it would shatter into, it still would be less than the number of ways an OBAMA-REID-PELOSI American government would mess up America.
As Alec Baldwin said in Glengary GlennRoss: "Think I am f**king with you? I am not f**king with you."
One major way that an Obama presidency would irreparably damage this country is in the area of free speech.
What the liberal Congress and Senate want to do in this area is so Un-American, so twisted, that I shed a tear like that Indian in that old pollution commercial when I think about its chilling effects.
What am I talking about? It's a piece of legislation called the "Fairness Doctrine" that the Pelosi gang will pass faster than it would take Justin Tuck to break the rest of Tony Romo's fingers- if he was man enough to play this Sunday against the Giants.
What is the Fairness Doctrine? It basically states that the airwaves are the property of the government, and thus the government has the right to tell television stations and radio stations what they have to broadcast, in the name of "Fairness".
Why do Liberal Politicians love the Fairness Doctrine? Because they get use it to get rid of what they perceive to be their enemy in America: Talk Radio.
Here is how it works: WABC in New York City is one of the most successful radio stations in the world. It is hugely profitable. It makes its money by selling advertising to its talk radio programs. Since it fired that rat Ron Kuby, WABC Radio hosts are all conservative Icons. Rush. Hannity. Mark Levin. And that Godfather of the conservative talk radio industry, the honorable Bob Grant.
What the Stalinist Leftist Pelosi wants to do is say to WABC radio: " You need more politically balanced broadcasters. You need to hire x number of liberal hosts to make it fair." If WABC doesn't do what Pelosi says, they lose their broadcasting license.
Let's be frank: If you think the government should be in the business of deciding political content that should be on the airwaves, you are a Stalinist.
It would be like the Government telling the New York Times they have to hire Pat Buchanan and get rid of Bob Herbert.
How would you like them apples?
Think about the mentality that one must have to support the Fairness Act. You have to be a twisted f**k to say "We have to get them off the air!"
Me: I am a free speech man. Hard core. The crazier, the better, I say. I love the Keith Olbermann's the Phil Donahue's and Chris Matthews. Let them expose themselves, I say. Makes it easier for me to make my case.
I look at the Olbermann types like I see those 12 tribes of Israel crazy brothers. Once you hear them, it makes it easier to dismiss them.
Truth be known, talk radio is dear to my heart. It's a place where Americans go to talk about grievances we have with the government. Its for people who don't find their issues discussed in the mainstream media.
The callers and hosts are the Thomas Paine's of modern America. Talk radio is where the Contract for America was born, which led to the Democrats losing the majority in Congress after a 40 year rule. It's where New Yorkers frustrated with Cuomo and Dinkins got together to plan & plot their successful ouster. It's entertaining as hell, as it has to be, or it would be replaced by something more profitable.
Its not like liberals are barred from having their own talk radio shows or stations. Its just that every attempt has failed more than Ted Kennedy has at taking a Breathalyzer. Mario Cuomo had a talk show. Drivers were falling asleep at the wheel all over the country. Air America is a nationwide network of liberal talk show hosts. It gets about 4 listeners a day, with two of them Howard Stern prank callers.
Liberals have wanted to squash talk radio for years and years. Bill Clinton even blamed talk radio for the Oklahoma City bombing! With an Obama presidency, the jack- booted leaders of the extreme left will be able to kick free speech on talk radio down the stairs.
Think I am f**king with u?
I'm not.
Let Me Count The Ways
After seeing David Wright get beaned in the head, in the ear hole, like it was done by a perfect marksman, it marked the culmination of one of the most disappointing years ever. But crazy stuff has always happened to the Mets:
1. Gil Hodges dies of a massive heart attack during spring training in 1972. He was only 47. Wonder how Straw and Gooden would have turned out if Hodges was managing them? I mean, they came up 11-12 years later, Hodges still would have been in his fifties.
2. The 1973 worst to first run in September, followed by beating the big Red Machine and losing the devastating 7th game to the A's. (Wonder how much Petey Rose lost on the 1973 playoffs.)
3. They release Cleon Jones in the spring of '75 after finding him with a white woman in a van down south. Crazy.
4. The midnight massacre. June 15, 1977. Tom Seaver, the Franchise, is traded. When Seaver was up for the Hall of Fame, he received a higher percentage of votes than anyone in history. The Mets traded him because he wanted like 200k and they used Dick Young to make Seaver look like a villain. Great move.
5. Oh yeah you know how no Met has ever thrown a no-hitter ? Seaver did it when he went to Cincinnati. And Nolan Ryan threw like a hundred no-hitters after we gave him away.
6. They get Seaver back in 1983, but leave him on the unprotected list and we lost him to the White Sox.
7. By 1986, Seaver is on the Red Sox, and is on the DL in the Red Sox uniform during the 1986 World Series. Think about that: The Franchise was in the enemy dugout wearing the Red Sox uniform during the 1986 World Series. It should have never come to that.
8. Has any team had 2 back-to-back rookies with more potential than Straw & Gooden? They should have retired as Mets with 600 hrs. and 300 wins between them. They should have had their own Rotunda at the new stadium. But it certainly did not work out that way, no?
9. We win the World Series, and it turns out the MVP, Ray Knight played his last game with the Mets.
10. The 1986 World Series parade: Gooden missed it because he "overslept". Oh oh.
11. In the 1988 playoffs, we run into Orel Hersheiser in the middle of his 1,000,000 straight innings without a allowing a run.
12. We revamp the team and get Vince Coleman. Coleman shows his love of being a Met by throwing fireworks at fans-and it wasn't fireworks night.
13. Generation X or K- Wilson, Pulsipher and Isringhausen. What a crock.
14. Art Howe did I get this job?
15. The collapse of the last two seasons.
16. Bernie Madoff rips off Fred Wilpon.
17. Reyes, Delgado & Beltran go into Witness Protection.
18. Wright gets hit in the head. Remember Ellis Valentine? I hope David Wright does not.
1. Gil Hodges dies of a massive heart attack during spring training in 1972. He was only 47. Wonder how Straw and Gooden would have turned out if Hodges was managing them? I mean, they came up 11-12 years later, Hodges still would have been in his fifties.
2. The 1973 worst to first run in September, followed by beating the big Red Machine and losing the devastating 7th game to the A's. (Wonder how much Petey Rose lost on the 1973 playoffs.)
3. They release Cleon Jones in the spring of '75 after finding him with a white woman in a van down south. Crazy.
4. The midnight massacre. June 15, 1977. Tom Seaver, the Franchise, is traded. When Seaver was up for the Hall of Fame, he received a higher percentage of votes than anyone in history. The Mets traded him because he wanted like 200k and they used Dick Young to make Seaver look like a villain. Great move.
5. Oh yeah you know how no Met has ever thrown a no-hitter ? Seaver did it when he went to Cincinnati. And Nolan Ryan threw like a hundred no-hitters after we gave him away.
6. They get Seaver back in 1983, but leave him on the unprotected list and we lost him to the White Sox.
7. By 1986, Seaver is on the Red Sox, and is on the DL in the Red Sox uniform during the 1986 World Series. Think about that: The Franchise was in the enemy dugout wearing the Red Sox uniform during the 1986 World Series. It should have never come to that.
8. Has any team had 2 back-to-back rookies with more potential than Straw & Gooden? They should have retired as Mets with 600 hrs. and 300 wins between them. They should have had their own Rotunda at the new stadium. But it certainly did not work out that way, no?
9. We win the World Series, and it turns out the MVP, Ray Knight played his last game with the Mets.
10. The 1986 World Series parade: Gooden missed it because he "overslept". Oh oh.
11. In the 1988 playoffs, we run into Orel Hersheiser in the middle of his 1,000,000 straight innings without a allowing a run.
12. We revamp the team and get Vince Coleman. Coleman shows his love of being a Met by throwing fireworks at fans-and it wasn't fireworks night.
13. Generation X or K- Wilson, Pulsipher and Isringhausen. What a crock.
14. Art Howe did I get this job?
15. The collapse of the last two seasons.
16. Bernie Madoff rips off Fred Wilpon.
17. Reyes, Delgado & Beltran go into Witness Protection.
18. Wright gets hit in the head. Remember Ellis Valentine? I hope David Wright does not.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
A Damn Lie
The President says that he has no desire to get rid of private health insurance. That his plan merely gives Americans a choice between public and private insurance. Competition is good for all Americans, he ensures us. If you are happy with your private insurance, you get to keep it.
But in reality, what he wants to do is to make the health insurance industry as extinct as the dinosaur. He wants to send private health insurance to Guantanamo Bay where it will be water-boarded and never heard from again.
Why do I say that? Because Obama has said so. Roll the tape on the Stoop big-screen below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ-6ebku3_E
If you watched the video above, and still do not believe the President wants to eliminate private health insurance, you remind me of what Richard Pryor said to his wife after she caught him cheating:
Are you gonna believe me, or your lyin eyes?
But in reality, what he wants to do is to make the health insurance industry as extinct as the dinosaur. He wants to send private health insurance to Guantanamo Bay where it will be water-boarded and never heard from again.
Why do I say that? Because Obama has said so. Roll the tape on the Stoop big-screen below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ-6ebku3_E
If you watched the video above, and still do not believe the President wants to eliminate private health insurance, you remind me of what Richard Pryor said to his wife after she caught him cheating:
Are you gonna believe me, or your lyin eyes?
Stoop Readin'
The stoop isn't always loud. Sometimes its very quiet. During the quiet times, the stoop is an amazing place to read a book, newspaper or magazine. With that in mind, every so often we will recommend something to read that falls within the parameters of this blog.
Here goes the first recommendation.
Remember Reggie Lewis? He was a Celtic star, at the height of his career when he died tragically of a heart attack 16 years ago. He was only 27 years old.
Three months before his tragic death, Lewis fainted during a playoff game. Medical tests conducted following Lewis' fainting spell indicated severe heart problems consistent with the use of cocaine.
The link at the bottom is a piece from the Wall Street Journal written in 1995. Its a great example of investigative journalism that tracks the actions taken from the time Lewis fainted to his death three months later.
You see the convergence of big business, public relations, Insurance money, a powerful labor union and the medical profession and how most of these interests did not want to know whether or not cocaine played a part in Lewis' death.
A great read.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Free Markets: Supply & Demand-A Park Slope Story
And to Ralph Kramden, I leave my fortune.
Get the bag Norton!-Honeymooners dialogue
As the Federal Government continues its assault on the free markets, by among other things, buying banks & car companies, disregarding the rights of secured creditors, and the biggest intrusion of all, the health care fiasco, its refreshing to look back on how the natural laws of supply and demand work without the interference of government.
All we have to do is remember a story from our common past. Its the Summer of 1987. U2 is the biggest band in the world, schedules a concert for Giants Stadium, and is the hottest ticket in town. But even hot tickets at some point lose their temperature. Why? The natural laws of supply & demand.
Now, as soon as the concert is announced, one of our friend's (the legal code of ethics does not allow me to reveal his name) has a brain storm: he will buy a s**t load of tickets, the concert will sell out, and he will be able to command top dollar for the tickets he bought.
So our friend (lets call him "Tom Foolery") buys a ton of tickets. I mean, he had more tickets than Ron Delsner. And there is a lot of lag time between the time the tickets went on sale and the actual concert.
During this time people were constantly coming up to Tom Foolery, offering him a modest premium in return for a couple of tickets.
Foolery would hear none of it. "I'm here to make money, not friends" was his reply to everyone who asked. And they asked. And continued to ask. Foolery did not budge. That phrase "I'm here to make money, not friends" still resonates 22 years later to those who heard it over and over again.
Foolery's Plan: Get to Giant's Stadium early, set up shop, and sell the tickets to those desperate enough to pay through the nose.
But the free markets worked against Foolery. Some people when hearing his price, decided to buy pot instead. Others would buy some U2 CD's. Others did..... whatever.
Some decided to seek out other ticket scalpers who had a better deal. And there were plenty of people who had extra U2 tickets that were willing to sell them for just a little over the ticket price.
One of them reads this blog.
Come the day of the concert, and Foolery was in the Giants Stadium parking lot like a carnival barker announcing to all that he had excellent seats for sale.
All we have to do is remember a story from our common past. Its the Summer of 1987. U2 is the biggest band in the world, schedules a concert for Giants Stadium, and is the hottest ticket in town. But even hot tickets at some point lose their temperature. Why? The natural laws of supply & demand.
Now, as soon as the concert is announced, one of our friend's (the legal code of ethics does not allow me to reveal his name) has a brain storm: he will buy a s**t load of tickets, the concert will sell out, and he will be able to command top dollar for the tickets he bought.
So our friend (lets call him "Tom Foolery") buys a ton of tickets. I mean, he had more tickets than Ron Delsner. And there is a lot of lag time between the time the tickets went on sale and the actual concert.
During this time people were constantly coming up to Tom Foolery, offering him a modest premium in return for a couple of tickets.
Foolery would hear none of it. "I'm here to make money, not friends" was his reply to everyone who asked. And they asked. And continued to ask. Foolery did not budge. That phrase "I'm here to make money, not friends" still resonates 22 years later to those who heard it over and over again.
Foolery's Plan: Get to Giant's Stadium early, set up shop, and sell the tickets to those desperate enough to pay through the nose.
But the free markets worked against Foolery. Some people when hearing his price, decided to buy pot instead. Others would buy some U2 CD's. Others did..... whatever.
Some decided to seek out other ticket scalpers who had a better deal. And there were plenty of people who had extra U2 tickets that were willing to sell them for just a little over the ticket price.
One of them reads this blog.
Come the day of the concert, and Foolery was in the Giants Stadium parking lot like a carnival barker announcing to all that he had excellent seats for sale.
How did he do?
He might as well have been wearing a Sandwich Board stating "STAY BACK! I AM A LEPER & I NEED TO GET BACK TO MY COLONY."
He might as well have been wearing a Sandwich Board stating "STAY BACK! I AM A LEPER & I NEED TO GET BACK TO MY COLONY."
The crowd walked thru him like he was the main character in the movie "Powder".
No runs. No hits. And NO TICKETS SALES.
Once Bono starting singing, and Foolery was left with enough tickets to fill KeySpan Park, Foolery entered the stadium. "Show me your Ticket" says the Usher. "HERE'S MY TICKET!" Foolery shoots back, showing the Usher the entire section that he turned into a party for one.
Foolery had a bunch of rows for himself. While looking over his vast holdings,he noticed a couple that had settled into two of his seats. Foolery immediately snapped to attention and summoned a security guard "GET THEM OUT OF THERE! THOSE ARE MY SEATS! Foolery showed the Guard the tickets and the couple had to move, wondering why they could not sit in a section that was completely empty.
Big Lesson: Free Markets punish & reward in their own unique way. Let the free markets deal with greed, keep the feds far way.
No runs. No hits. And NO TICKETS SALES.
Once Bono starting singing, and Foolery was left with enough tickets to fill KeySpan Park, Foolery entered the stadium. "Show me your Ticket" says the Usher. "HERE'S MY TICKET!" Foolery shoots back, showing the Usher the entire section that he turned into a party for one.
Foolery had a bunch of rows for himself. While looking over his vast holdings,he noticed a couple that had settled into two of his seats. Foolery immediately snapped to attention and summoned a security guard "GET THEM OUT OF THERE! THOSE ARE MY SEATS! Foolery showed the Guard the tickets and the couple had to move, wondering why they could not sit in a section that was completely empty.
Big Lesson: Free Markets punish & reward in their own unique way. Let the free markets deal with greed, keep the feds far way.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Give Him A Medal
Every once in a while, The Stoop will give out a good citizenship award. Our first recipient is a senior citizen, Charles Augusto Jr. a 72 year old owner of a restaurant supply business in Harlem.
Charles is by all accounts a good man. At 72, he is still running his business, God bless him.
Yesterday, 4 thugs, at least one of which was armed with a Glock 9 millimeter pistol, tried to rob old Charles. They thought he was old. They thought he was weak. They thought he was an easy mark.
They thought wrong.
You see Charles had been robbed before. And he made a vow to himself: never again.
So Charles got himself a shotgun and kept it at his store.
When the thugs walked in, Charles made sure they would not walk out.
Incredibly, with only three shots, Charles shot all four suspects, killing two.
By hitting all four with only three shots, Charles achieved the equivalent of getting a 100% on a calculus test, plus nailing the extra credit question.
If I were Mayor, I would give Charles the "Paul Kersey Medal of Freedom" on City Hall steps. Not only that, I would demand the that Police Commissioner hire Charles and put him in charge of firearm usage. Enough of these cop shootouts where 80 bullets are fired.
Charles: We here on the Stoop salute your public service.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The Republican Party Has Its Colin Removed
(My analysis during the 2008 election as to why Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama.)
"Its a black thing, baby!"-Richard Pryor
Colin Powell has endorsed Barack Obama for President. He says race had nothing to do with his decision. Remember the late Giant General Manager George Young? He once said "when they say its not about the money, its always about the money." Same think with race.
What other logical conclusion can one come too?
Obama stands for everything that Powell has worked against for the past 38 years-at least.
He worked in the Nixon White House. He was Reagan's National Security Adviser. Chairman of the Joint Chief's of Staff under Papa Bush. Secretary of State under Baby Bush. Author of the Powell Doctrine and Don't Ask Don't Tell.
This guy was so in-twined with the Republican Party, his son Michael (Fredo) Powell was chairman of the FCC. Oh yeah, Mike got to decide important matters like if Janet Jackson showed too much nip on TV or if Howard Stern let a fart contest go on for too long.
So after a lifetime of working for all of these Republican Presidents, and carrying out their military and foreign polices, he wants us to believe that he has gotten religion with this inexperienced liberal-hero of the left? Please.
Remember the "Powell Doctrine"? It meant going in with overwhelming force. Sounds like the Surge, right? Who supports the Surge? Not Powell's guy. In fact, he lives in denial that the Surge- the Greatest momentum-changing military strategy since the Civil War- is even working!
How bout those missile systems Powell advocated for? Obama is against them. Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Obama would abolish this Powell policy with a quick executive order.
What about decency and respect for the military? Obama's school's (Columbia & Harvard) refuse to let military recruiters on campus. You can be a terrorist, or a member of NAMBLA, and you are welcomed with open arms at these schools. But not a military recruiter. The Powell we thought we knew, the CCNY ROTC man, would have a problem with this. But Obama refuses to condemn his schools for this disgraceful practice.
How about the Moveon.Org ad in the New York Times that slandered General Petraeus? The Senate voted to condemn the ad, but Powell's guy, Obama, hid under his desk and voted present. Some support for our leader over there. And Powell is OK with that?
Hey Colie, you used to work at the Pentagon, right? Obama's mentor Bill Ayers, bombed your work place. You must be the real forgiving type, Colie.
Powell's explanation that he is concerned about a Republican picking the next couple of Supreme Court Justices is preposterous.
Powell was in the Nixon White House when Rehnquist was appointed. He was there when Scalia was picked by Reagan, and Thomas was picked by Poppa. He never said a word against Roberts & Alito, the baby Bush Supreme Court appointments. All of these justices are Conservative icons. Yet, Powell never stood up and excused himself for good from the Republican dinner table after their appointments.
So what is the reason for his endorsement? When you see the overwhelming evidence that Powell's written opinions, philosophy and actions have nothing in common with Obama, you have to say that in Powell's view, the election is about the complexion.
Which is a sad thing.
You know the late Jim Valvano had a guard on his team named Vinny DelNegro. Vinny played a lot of minutes; Jimmy V was questioned about this.
"People say I play Vinny a lot of minutes because he is Italian. That is not true. I play Vinny a lot of minutes because I'm Italian! said Jimmy V.
Call me crazy, but in my view, voting for a person just because he is black is just as bad as not voting for a person only because he is black.
So General Powell, here is a salute for the uniformed service you performed for your country. (That will never change.) But here is also a wave of dismissal for the actions you took today.
"Its a black thing, baby!"-Richard Pryor
Colin Powell has endorsed Barack Obama for President. He says race had nothing to do with his decision. Remember the late Giant General Manager George Young? He once said "when they say its not about the money, its always about the money." Same think with race.
What other logical conclusion can one come too?
Obama stands for everything that Powell has worked against for the past 38 years-at least.
He worked in the Nixon White House. He was Reagan's National Security Adviser. Chairman of the Joint Chief's of Staff under Papa Bush. Secretary of State under Baby Bush. Author of the Powell Doctrine and Don't Ask Don't Tell.
This guy was so in-twined with the Republican Party, his son Michael (Fredo) Powell was chairman of the FCC. Oh yeah, Mike got to decide important matters like if Janet Jackson showed too much nip on TV or if Howard Stern let a fart contest go on for too long.
So after a lifetime of working for all of these Republican Presidents, and carrying out their military and foreign polices, he wants us to believe that he has gotten religion with this inexperienced liberal-hero of the left? Please.
Remember the "Powell Doctrine"? It meant going in with overwhelming force. Sounds like the Surge, right? Who supports the Surge? Not Powell's guy. In fact, he lives in denial that the Surge- the Greatest momentum-changing military strategy since the Civil War- is even working!
How bout those missile systems Powell advocated for? Obama is against them. Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Obama would abolish this Powell policy with a quick executive order.
What about decency and respect for the military? Obama's school's (Columbia & Harvard) refuse to let military recruiters on campus. You can be a terrorist, or a member of NAMBLA, and you are welcomed with open arms at these schools. But not a military recruiter. The Powell we thought we knew, the CCNY ROTC man, would have a problem with this. But Obama refuses to condemn his schools for this disgraceful practice.
How about the Moveon.Org ad in the New York Times that slandered General Petraeus? The Senate voted to condemn the ad, but Powell's guy, Obama, hid under his desk and voted present. Some support for our leader over there. And Powell is OK with that?
Hey Colie, you used to work at the Pentagon, right? Obama's mentor Bill Ayers, bombed your work place. You must be the real forgiving type, Colie.
Powell's explanation that he is concerned about a Republican picking the next couple of Supreme Court Justices is preposterous.
Powell was in the Nixon White House when Rehnquist was appointed. He was there when Scalia was picked by Reagan, and Thomas was picked by Poppa. He never said a word against Roberts & Alito, the baby Bush Supreme Court appointments. All of these justices are Conservative icons. Yet, Powell never stood up and excused himself for good from the Republican dinner table after their appointments.
So what is the reason for his endorsement? When you see the overwhelming evidence that Powell's written opinions, philosophy and actions have nothing in common with Obama, you have to say that in Powell's view, the election is about the complexion.
Which is a sad thing.
You know the late Jim Valvano had a guard on his team named Vinny DelNegro. Vinny played a lot of minutes; Jimmy V was questioned about this.
"People say I play Vinny a lot of minutes because he is Italian. That is not true. I play Vinny a lot of minutes because I'm Italian! said Jimmy V.
Call me crazy, but in my view, voting for a person just because he is black is just as bad as not voting for a person only because he is black.
So General Powell, here is a salute for the uniformed service you performed for your country. (That will never change.) But here is also a wave of dismissal for the actions you took today.
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