libvscon

Addendum to Previous Post

2009-03-13T00:35:00.002-04:00

The dilemma will be resolved when the states are made responsible for paying Social Security and Medicare benefits. Strapped for cash, the states will see the wisdom of setting up convenient, attractive, fast and reliable assisted suicide stations. They will be all over the place, just like the ubiquitous golden arches.

The Big Dilemma

2009-03-12T11:39:00.001-04:00

Almost daily, I read in the paper about how costly Social Security and Medicare are and how their costs will rise in the future.

In a satirical work, "Boomsday," Christopher Buckley suggests a simple and obvious solution: assisted suicide for 70-year olds.

OK, assuming diminished quality of life as we age and our bodies require more medical attention, testing, treatments and surgeries and furthermore assuming that we oldsters recognize that the expense of our care places a huge burden on society, what are we to do?

Except for two states, Oregon and Washington, all the others outlaw assisted suicide.

The Federal Government needs us to die to save money and the states say that we must live no matter how high the costs go.

How will this dilemma be resolved?

What Is This?

2009-01-16T01:17:00.000-05:00

A priest, a minister and a rabbi walk into a bar and the bartender says: "What is this, some kind of a joke?"

Best Quote

2009-01-16T00:57:00.002-05:00

From participants in the rescue at the airplane that ditched in the river yesterday:

“Basically, let me tell you, we were in the right place at the right time,”

Honorio Hector Rabanes, a deckhand on the Thomas Keane, a New York Waterway ferry.

see: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/nyregion/16rescue.html?hp

Israel Is Not So Smart

2009-01-15T10:18:00.003-05:00

For many years, Israel has suffered at the hands of hostile Arab neighbors. At first, the Israelis fought back and smote the Arabs mightily and survived.

For the last 30 years, the big neighbors have left Israel pretty much alone. Two have have even signed peace treaties with Israel.

Arab aggression has changed. It is no longer threatening. What Hamas is doing is not good, but it does not endanger Israel's existence.

How is Israel responding? The same old way - with airplanes, helicopters, tanks and massive amounts of explosives. It's not effective against the Hamas rocket throwers and their elusive bosses.

How should Israel (and the rest of the world) respond? With a Marshall plan for the suffering Palestinians. See advertisement by Tikkun (a Jewish organization):

http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/article.php?story=gaza_text

Scroll down to the section entitled: "A Domestic and Global Marshall Plan—Starting with Israel/Palestine."

Compare and Contrast

2009-01-10T02:32:00.000-05:00

Not Morality

2009-01-02T18:23:00.004-05:00

In today's WaPo, Charles Krauthammer published a column entitled "Moral Clarity in Gaza." He sided with Israel.

According to posted readers' comments very few agreed with him.

What's the problem? Discussing morality is a waste of time because different people have different ideas about what is moral.

The correct issue is "what works."

The proper model is the one followed by the United States vs. Japan at the end of WW II - economic development. The US brought in consultants and experts and taught the Japanese how to manufacture high-quality goods. This policy was so successful that Japan has been at peace for 63 years and has become the world's second largest economy.

Israel and the Western (and oil-rich Arab) nations should help the Palestinians to develop economically. Then, and only then, will there be peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Krauthammer's column at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/01/AR2009010101780.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Great Page One Headline in NYPost, 12/5/08

2008-12-05T14:35:00.001-05:00

Good Summary of the Big 3 Problem

2008-12-05T14:08:00.002-05:00

GM'S FANTASY RECOVERY PLAN
By DAN CALABRESE

YOU know that $12 billion bailout, er, "bridge loan" we asked for? Can we make that $18 billion? So asks General Motors in its report to Congress, explaining that it needs $6 billion more than it wanted just two weeks ago - but not to worry, because it's really learned its lesson this time . . .

GM's "recovery" plan would be lucky to earn a C at a respectable business college. And what little substance it offers, the company is in no position to actually deliver. First, why is GM asking for $18 billion now, when it was only asking for $12 billion just last month? Well, this is hardly unprecedented - in a matter of weeks, this company went from reporting a cash-burn of $1 billion-a-month to reporting a $5 billion-a-month loss. Congress just might want to wonder what the figure will be next month. For now, anyway, GM says it needs to borrow the original $12 billion by March, just to keep operating, but wants access to another $6 billion line of credit just in case the economy gets even worse. Just in case? The rest of the proposal is rife with typical Detroit fantasy.

GM presumes that the auto industry, which is expected to see sales fall to 12 million units in 2009, will bounce back to sell 15 million units by 2012. What's the basis for that hope? * It insists that it will make its labor costs "competitive" with those of transplants like Toyota and Honda by 2012. One small problem - the United Auto Workers has agreed to no such thing.

As GM was submitting its plan, UAW officials were huddling in Detroit to consider whether they'd make further concessions to give GM a ghost of a chance of keeping this pledge.The UAW agreed only to delay an upcoming GM benefits payment. Other concessions? They'll think about it. And UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said last month that the union has already given enough.

GM's latest submission also raises a new, huge red flag. Until recently, GM financed more than half its customers' purchases through its GMAC financing arm, overwhelmingly for customers with credit scores under 700. Now that credit standards are far tighter, it can no longer finance those customers In other words, GM can now self-finance only 6 percent of its sales. That's sure to hurt those sales even more for years to come - unless the taxpayers take the financing risk.

The rest of GM's "plan" is typical political pandering and emotional appeals about GM's past - none of which make a bailout of the company from this point forward a smart business move. Missing are any actual profit projections - perhaps the plan's one bow to reality. But GM might as well have thrown in some fat profit numbers out of thin air - it would've been as feasible as anything else in the plan.

Is Congress really dense enough to use taxpayer money to prop up this fiasco? GM claims it needs the first $4 billion by the end of this month or it will collapse, so we'll find out soon enough.

Dan Calabrese, a longtime journalist and PR executive in Michigan, is the founder and editor in chief of North Star Writers Group.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/12052008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/gms_fantasy_recovery_plan_142734.htm

Good Luck!

2008-11-25T13:36:00.001-05:00

I watched Obama's speech and he spoke well - but he did not inspire confidence.

I watched the speech on CNBC and as Obama was speaking the stock indexes were sinking.

Why was that?

Because the problems facing Obama are so numerous and intractable that not even Obama with his clear thinking and speaking and first-rate staff will be able to solve them.

The Republicans have messed up the country so badly that it may not be possible to repair the damage.

Two Short Articles Worth Reading

2008-11-24T08:53:00.001-05:00

Sundays NYTimes Business section had 2 worth-while articles:

The New Deal Didn’t Always Work, Either, at
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/business/23view.html?_r=1&sq=Tyler%20Cowen&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=print

and

What if a Slowdown Is a Never-Ending Story? at
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/business/23every.html?sq=Ben%20Stein&st=cse&scp=1&pagewanted=print

Pi(e)

2008-10-15T02:23:00.001-04:00

What Needs to Be Done

2008-10-08T12:16:00.001-04:00

If the current crisis is of a scale comparable to the depression of the 1930's, it is possible that the Government has not yet done enough to resolve the problem.

What is the problem? The masses do not have enough money and credit to continue propping up the economy.

And why not? Because the rich and powerful have taken too much money and not left enough for everybody else. That's what happened before 1929 and happened again before 2008.

After 1929 the economy stayed depressed for a decade or more, in spite of FDR's attempts to solve the problem.

Starting in 1941, World War II created many jobs and made it possible to tax the very rich at almost confiscatory rates. A side effect was to cure the depression.

I am certainly not recommending another World War. But if the Government were to tax incomes above 1 million dollars at a rate of 90% and use the revenue to start a massive public works program, our crisis would be over.

In my opinion, the Obama Administration will not do that. Obama is not that progressive (liberal).

So, we will suffer for a long time.

Oh, the irony of it!

2008-09-30T02:27:00.001-04:00

The bail-out would have cost $700 billion. That's too much, right?

Defeating the bail-out cost American stock owners much more. On September 29, the stock market decline cost investors $1,200 billion. (See http://money.cnn.com/)

"We haven't got the man we had when we began"

2008-07-16T10:58:00.002-04:00

A quote from Fiddler on the Roof - it applies to Barack Obama for many of his supporters. The dreamers who believed that Obama would be a "different" kind of politician. Hah!

There is no such thing. There are only winners and losers. Obama aims to be a winner. So he does not hand the Republicans a weapon to be used against him. He votes for FISA.

So, how did the dreamers conjure up Obama, the new kind of politician? Did Obama help them to have that dream? Did Obama use demagogy to win the nomination?

Demagogy refers to a political strategy for obtaining and gaining political power by appealing to the popular prejudices, emotions, fears and expectations of the public — typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda.

Shop Til You Drop

2008-07-14T03:42:00.002-04:00

See set of 3 photos.

What's More Shocking?

2008-07-02T01:44:00.001-04:00

Can You Figure This One Out?

2008-06-30T17:33:00.000-04:00

Want to See . . .

2008-06-24T03:23:00.002-04:00

. . . a great catch?

Hillary - "Superstar?"

2008-06-17T00:09:00.002-04:00

The cover of the current issue of New York Magazine juxtaposes a photo of Hillary with a boldface "Superstar."

I have read the New York article. It comes across as blatant attempt to sell magazines by claiming that reality is the opposite of what it seems to be.

And in the real world, reality most of the time is what it seems to be.

Hillary has to go back to being the junior Senator from New York, way down the seniority list. Not a very exciting place to be at age 60, especially after a brief period as the apparent anointed next President of the United States.

I like Hillary and I am sorry that she lost, but really that's what happened.

Bye-bye Jerry, Bye-bye Steve

2008-06-15T01:42:00.003-04:00

In a NYTimes article entitled, "Oh Jerry, It’s No Longer Your Baby,"
Joe Nocera spanks Jerry Yang for rejecting Microsoft's offer to buy Yahoo! for 70% above market price.

It's a good article, well-written and full of relevant facts. It also follows standard Business-School doctrine that the CEO's responsibility is to maximize the wealth of the stockholders. Yang was clearly not doing that when he turned away Microsoft's insanely generous offer. What Yang was doing was protecting his own position as CEO of an independent Yahoo!

Nocera could have also pointed out that Steve Ballmer was not maximizing the wealth of Microsoft's stockholders when he made the +70% offer. Ballmer was doing the same thing Yang was doing - feeding his own deficient self-concept by deluding himself that he was the master mind of a growth strategy for Microsoft, when he was in fact he was admitting that he had totally failed as CEO. Neither Ballmer, nor anyone else at Microsoft has a sliver of an idea of how to create a future for Microsoft.

It's time for Yang, Ballmer and all the other "have-beens" at both companies to disappear from public view. Maybe they should join Jimmy Carter and start their own retirement community.

An Untimely Death

2008-06-14T01:32:00.002-04:00

I can't get over the fact that Russert's doctors did not repair his coronary arteries and were not able to convince him to eat a lot less and to exercise more.

According to the doctor's description published in the NYTimes, Russert was allowed to live with Coronary Artery Disease without any attempt to clear up his problem. Why did Russert not have a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)?

I can testify that I had a CABG at age 76 and it was like having a new lease on life. I could exercise as much as I wanted and I no longer have to worry about a piece of plaque breaking loose and causing a heart attack.

Russert could have lived many more years. There are expert sugeons nowadays who do the CABG without having to stop the heart, without having to use the heart-lung machine totally avoiding the possibility of brain damage. I know, beacuse I was lucky (or smart) enough to have such a surgeon do my CABG.

What a rotten shame that Russert did not consult such a cardio-thoracic surgeon!

Parasols in New York

2008-06-10T18:09:00.000-04:00

Suddenly Unwanted Vehicle

2008-06-10T00:39:00.000-04:00

Low-light, No-flash Photography

2008-06-08T01:47:00.002-04:00

See Nassau County Art Museum.

Why? Because She Failed to Use the Internet

2008-06-08T01:25:00.003-04:00

What makes it utterly incomprehensible is that Howard Dean demonstrated in 2004 how to rise from small state obscurity to national prominence by using the internet and Hillary was totally blind.

She should have asked Dean to advise her, not Penn, not McAuliffe or even Bill. This trio really sank her campaign.

Personal note
During the 2004 election season, I contributed repeatedly to Democratic causes - all using the internet and my credit card. My name and e-mail address must appear on all or most Democratic party contributor lists from 2004.

Yet, in 2007-8, Hillary's campaign never contacted me for a contribution, on their own initiative.

After I sought out her website and contributed $100, they became incessant. By then, it was too late. Hillary was hopelessly behind in fund-raising.

Astounding!

2008-06-06T01:53:00.002-04:00

According to an article by renowned astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, it can be mathematically shown that if the General Election were held today, McCain would beat Obama and Hillary would beat McCain.

Seems that the Democrats toiled mightily to make sure that they would lose yet another Presidential election.

What A Shame!

2008-06-03T11:31:00.002-04:00

Bob Herbert, a respected op-ed columnist on the NYTimes has backed Obama from the beginning and with great enthusiasm. He has also ripped both Clintons mercilessly.

Now that Obama is 99+ percent certain of the nomination, Bob Herbert has made and amazing admission: Obama has no plan for the US economy - the No. 1 burning issue on the minds of voters.

So, on what basis did Herbert support Obama? I can think of only one thing: Herbert and Obama both have medium brown skin.

See today's column.

The key statement is toward the end of the column:

Senator Obama will have to develop (again, quickly) an exceptionally compelling economic program . . .

Dog Bites Man

2008-06-03T02:29:00.001-04:00

Barack Obama’s potential partner-in-summiting (without preconditions, but with preparations) has issued more soothing commentary on world affairs:
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted on Monday that Muslims would uproot "satanic powers" and repeated his controversial belief that Israel will soon disappear, the Mehr news agency reported.
"I must announce that the Zionist regime (Israel), with a 60-year record of genocide, plunder, invasion and betrayal is about to die and will soon be erased from the geographical scene," he said.
"Today, the time for the fall of the satanic power of the United States has come and the countdown to the annihilation of the emperor of power and wealth has started."
Big deal, right? That’s how Ahmadenijad talks now, but just wait until he gets a shot of the Hope/Change pixie dust in a private meeting with President Obama. He’ll surely change his tune.
Hopefully Obama will set A'jad straight on the irony of his using the term genocide. If Israel were interested in genocide of any sort, it could have made a good go of it any time in the past 30 years (at least). And yet it seems genocide truly does interest Israel's neighbors, be they the Iranian government or its terrorist proxies.
Exit question: Is there any possibility that A’jad already feels emboldened by the anxiousness to appease shown by one of the two finalists for the American presidency?

The above, verbatim from:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,361705,00.html

There's Something Missing

2008-06-02T17:54:00.001-04:00

Obama supporters, who seem to be very willing to criticize Hillary have not even begun to define what Obama will accomplish as President that will be vastly superior to what Hillary would accomplish.

Will the Iraq war end sooner?

Will our economy grow faster?

Will our children get a better education?

Will college costs become more affordable?

Will gasoline and natural gas become cheaper?

Who knows? Obama never said. All he said was "Yes we can" and "Change we can believe in." Nobody knows what those two slogans mean.

If . . .

2008-05-30T17:25:00.002-04:00

If Obama had studied Chapter 3 of my book posted on the web (no charge, no advertising) before he shot his mouth off about meeting Ahmadinejad without pre-conditions, he would not be getting this never-ending flak from Republicans.

Chapter 3 deals with the fundamentals of Negotiation. Anyone with a web connection can find it at:

http://mbatoolbox.org/stories/storyReader$15

As it is, Obama has given his opponents a hook on which they can hang never-ending criticisms abut his lack of experience and unfitness for the Presidency.

What was Obama thinking when he shot his mouth off? Maybe he wasn't thinking.

Oh, They Are Ever So Wrong

2008-05-27T02:57:00.002-04:00

Rockefeller family members want Exxon-Mobil to move beyond oil and do all kinds of things that the company does not know how to do simply because these things are politically correct.

See article in today's NYTimes. See also unflattering photo of two Rockefellers at top of article.

If indeed the age oil is ending (a dubious assumption), Exxon-Mobil should accept this without complaining and gradually liquidate the company and return the money to the stockholders and allow them to invest the money as they see fit.

What Exxon-Mobil should definitely not do is to squander stockholders' money in areas in which the company has no knowledge or assets. They have tried that in the past and failed miserably.

Why Did Kennedy Meet Nikita S. Khrushchev?

2008-05-24T01:52:00.002-04:00

Considering how poorly prepared Kennedy was, why did he take the risk of meeting Nikita S. Khrushchev, who was well-known to be a tough Communist street-brawler who would not hesitate to accuse, insult and threaten opponents?

An answer suggested in a letter to editor of the NYTimes, reproduced in its entirety below:

To the Editor:

Nathan Thrall and Jesse James Wilkins argue that President John F. Kennedy’s disastrous summit meeting with Nikita S. Khrushchev was a result of the president’s naïve rush to meet with an enemy leader.

There was another factor — Kennedy may well have been high on amphetamines.

As Lawrence K. Altman and I reported in The New York Times on Dec. 4, 1972, Kennedy was accompanied to the summit by Dr. Max Jacobson, a physician who routinely injected the stimulant into many prominent figures.

Dr. Jacobson told us that he injected Kennedy there. White House records confirm that the doctor was on that trip. It is not certain that the shots contained “speed,” but Dr. Feelgood, as patients called him, is known routinely to have mixed amphetamines into his potions.

The drug causes not only feelings of euphoria but also an exaggerated sense of power and superiority.

Boyce Rensberger
North Reading, Mass., May 22, 2008

The writer was a science reporter at The New York Times, 1971-79.

When Obama promised to meet enemies like Ahmadi Nejad and other tyrannical loonies without pre-conditions, was he also high on amphetamines?

If This Doesn't Get to You . . .

2008-05-23T15:42:00.003-04:00

A group of artists is painting portraits of military service people killed in Iraq, based on photographs and information provided by close family members - at no charge. See article and pictures at:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/05/23/project.compassion/index.html

Title of the article is Portraits of fallen comfort broken hearts.

Deadly Dissection of Obama's Mistake

2008-05-23T01:54:00.002-04:00

See today's Krauhammer article in the WaPo, entitled Obama's Metastatic Gaffe.

This is just heating up. Expect the Republicans to really take him apart, in the Fall.

Russians Hire Designer for Military Uniforms

2008-05-22T19:30:00.002-04:00

See article and picture in WaPo article.

Maybe our military should also hire a major designer so our guys can look good too.

Then, in the future, instead of wars, we will have beauty contests. Much less death and injury.

What a noble idea!

What JFK Said and What Happened

2008-05-22T01:58:00.003-04:00

What Kennedy said: “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” Widely quoted.

What Happened

Kennedy’s one presidential meeting with Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet premier, suggests that there are legitimate reasons to fear negotiating with one’s adversaries. Although Kennedy was keenly aware of some of the risks of such meetings — his Harvard thesis was titled “Appeasement at Munich” — he embarked on a summit meeting with Khrushchev in Vienna in June 1961, a move that would be recorded as one of the more self-destructive American actions of the cold war, and one that contributed to the most dangerous crisis of the nuclear age.

Quote taken from an op-ed article in today's NYTimes, entitled Kennedy Talked, Khrushchev Triumphed.

Kennedy was advised not to meet with Khrushchev, but he went ahead.

. . . and for two days he was pummeled by the Soviet leader. Despite his eloquence, Kennedy was no match as a sparring partner, and offered only token resistance as Khrushchev lectured him on the hypocrisy of American foreign policy, cautioned America against supporting “old, moribund, reactionary regimes” and asserted that the United States, which had valiantly risen against the British, now stood “against other peoples following its suit.” Khrushchev used the opportunity of a face-to-face meeting to warn Kennedy that his country could not be intimidated and that it was “very unwise” for the United States to surround the Soviet Union with military bases.

Yes, negotiators are sometimes abusive and if you are accustomed to being polite and to rely on logical presentations, you can get whipped. Not good for a President of the United States. Bush was right and Obama showed his ineptitude.

Obama is not ready to play in the major leagues. There is no evidence that he will ever be ready.

Glenn McCoy Cartoon - More to Come

2008-05-21T01:06:00.000-04:00

Weight Management

2008-05-20T12:00:00.002-04:00

A huge amount of the media are devoted to the weight of our bodies. Most of the talk is about losing weight. About different diets, difficulty of staying on a diet and inevitability of regaining lost weight.

Well, not all approaches are the same - not all approaches have the same results.

Restrictive diets most often do not work. Dieters sneak foods, binge and give up.

Weight losers who have made up their minds to achieve a certain, lower weight are less likely to binge because that would delay achieving their goal.

I have tried it both ways and the diet method invariably has failed.

But when I made up my mind to achieve a lower weight, I succeeded. I was constantly thinking about my goal: to weigh 170 pounds. Every time I contemplated eating, I measured my actions against my goal and acted accordingly.

When, for quality of life reasons, I decided to weigh 150 pounds, I repeated the process. I now weigh 147 pounds (at 6:00 A.M. after subtracting the weight of clothing).

If you want to lose weight, the first and most important thing to do is set a goal and think about your goal all the time. It may be boring, but it works.

When to Negotiate

2008-05-20T01:46:00.000-04:00

Let's just clarify one thing. Negotiation is appropriate if the two sides have an important objective in common. Negotiation may lead to compromise on the issues where the two sides differ.

Now, can anyone identify any important objective(s) shared the United States and Ahmadi Nejad?

I sure can't.

What Is It About the Nobel Peace Prize that . . .

2008-05-19T04:16:00.002-04:00

Causes recipients to do and say dumb things?

Jimmy Carter went and visited Hamas, giving them free publicity without any benefit.

Al Gore is carrying on about global warming as if it were the greatest disaster to planet Earth. No one claims that global warming is worse than the plague epidemics in medieval Europe. Yet, the human race survived the plague and moved on to the Renaissance and the birth of the age of science and innovation.

My suggestion to Carter is to find a good nursing home and to disappear from public view.

As for Gore, he should stop yowling about stopping global warming, which is impossible and to start thinking about adjusting optimally to the unavoidable changes in climate.

Bad News for Obama's Chances in November

2008-05-19T03:54:00.002-04:00

Read Kristol in the NYTimes.

His most telling argument is that Obama was demolished in West Virginia and lost Ohio and Pennsylvania.

In fact, it's difficult too feel optimistic about Obama's chances in view of the above.

Krugman Misses the Obvious

2008-05-19T03:42:00.003-04:00

In today's column, Krugman praises the benefits of mass transportation in view of the price of gasoline but complains about the high cost of building mass transportation.

He misses the obvious: hybrid busses and vans. Cheap to buy and run and infinitely flexible. Successful examples abound: New York City and Northern New Jersey suburbs.

Republicans Are Lying, Again

2008-05-19T03:32:00.001-04:00

"Unquestioning belief in the economy’s self-correcting mechanism is the reason many Republicans don’t want to do anything to prevent foreclosures."

Taken from NYTimes article at

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/opinion/19mon1.html

For the markets to "self-correct," all participants must have all the information they need to make rational decisions.

Actual conditions do not begin to approach this standard.

Another problem that helped to bring about the current disaster is that executive compensation schemes encouraged CEOs to take huge risks for their own immediate gains regardless of the enormous risks to the stockholders of their companies, for example E. Stanley O'Neal at Merrill Lynch.

Regulation is needed. Republicans must know this. They are just being disingenuous.

Israel's Worst Enemies Are . . .

2008-05-18T17:16:00.002-04:00

. . . certain influential American Jews.

Top Israeli politicians understand that for Israel to survive, it is absolutely essential for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank settlements and to cede East Jerusalem to the Palestinians.

Unfortunately, many influential American Jews do not agree and succeed in preventing top American politicians from encouraging Israel to do what needs to be done.

See Jeffrey Goldberg's column at
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/opinion/18goldberg.html?ref=opinion

Was Obama Justified in His Response to Bush?

2008-05-17T02:34:00.001-04:00

Bush was right and Obama failed to impress with his heated response.

Talking with nasty people is ok if and only if, both sides have an important objective in common. Then talking may focus on compromising on the differences for the sake of achieving the common objective.

If Obama plans to talk to Ahmadinejad or other loonies like that, it would be necessary for Obama to define what objectives are shared by the two parties.

Can anyone think of any objectives that the United States shares with Ahmadinejad?

There aren't any.

As noted at the beginning, Bush was right and Obama merely demonstrated, again that he is running on "Empty."

How Much Education Costs

2008-05-17T01:29:00.002-04:00

"The U.S. has stopped dealing honestly with difficult and complex problems."

The above quotation taken from Bob Herbert's column. Herbert discusses at length the truly inadequate job our public high schools are doing. Nowhere does he mention the inability of the providers of public high schools to provide sufficient funds. Of course, it all goes back to the unwillingness or inability of taxpayers to properly fund public education.

Recently, I had occasion to look into the true cost of a good education. An excellent private high school costs $31,000 a year for tuition, books and lunches. Public schools cost the tax payers an average of $6,000 a year.

No wonder our public high schools are doing such a poor job.

One also has to recognize that because of the enormous demand for private school education, in spite of the high fees, the schools can be and in fact are, highly selective in the students they accept. Also, because the students are superb, teachers are eager to work in the private schools, so there also great selectivity is exercised.

Bush Gets Obama's Goat

2008-05-15T11:46:00.003-04:00

The NYTimes reports that "Bush Issues Veiled Attack on Obama."

See:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/world/middleeast/16prexy.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Bush told the Israeli parliament that talking to terrorists (which Obama has promised to do) is appeasement and is bound to fail to achieve any worth-while results.

Obama denies that he promised to talk to terrorists.

I seem to remember that Obama promised to talk to top politicians in Iran and Syria. He did not say what he expected to accomplish.

What Caused the Rise in Food Prices?

2008-05-15T03:13:00.003-04:00

An article in the NYTimes tells of the sarcastic responses of Indians to Bush's suggestion that emerging countries should not be consuming so much food.

Samples:

For instance, Pradeep S. Mehta, secretary general of the center for international trade, economics and the environment of CUTS International, an independent research institute based here, said that if Americans slimmed down to the weight of middle-class Indians, “many hungry people in sub-Saharan Africa would find food on their plates.”

The Asian Age, a newspaper based here, argued in an editorial last week that Mr. Bush’s “ignorance on most matters is widely known and openly acknowledged by his own countrymen,” and that he must not be allowed to “get away” with an effort to “divert global attention from the truth by passing the buck on to India.”

There may be some foundation to Indians’ accusations of hypocrisy by the West. The United States uses — or throws away — 3,770 calories a person each day, according to data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization collected in 2001-3, compared with 2,440 calories per person in India. Americans are also the largest per capita consumers in any major economy of the most energy-intensive common food source, beef, the Agriculture Department says.

Question: What Does $86 Million Look Like?

2008-05-15T03:04:00.002-04:00

Answer:

See article at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/arts/design/15auction.html?hp

Global Warming Is Happening and Will Continue to Happen

2008-05-14T02:20:00.003-04:00

Global warming is almost certainly a fact.

Reversing the course of global warming is impossible.

There are too many people in developing nations who aspire to a living standard comparable to first world nations: houses with refrigerators and air conditioners and of course automobile ownership.

Can anyone stop them? No, not really.

Can anyone discourage them? Americans who drive gas-guzzling SUVs? Who live in Macmansions with every conceivable appliance and central air conditioning running full time?

Not a chance.

Chinese Earthquake Is Set Off by Collision with India

2008-05-13T04:26:00.002-04:00

The earthquake in the Sichuan Province of China on Monday was a result of a continuing collision between India and Asia.

India, once a giant island before crashing into the underside of Asia about 40 million to 50 million years ago, continues to slide north at a geologically quick pace of two inches a year. The tectonic stresses push up the Himalaya Mountains and generate scores of earthquakes from Afghanistan to China.

from the NYTimes at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/world/asia/13plate.html

Now, is Al Gore going to make a movie about this and advocate policies to drag India out into the Indian Ocean?

And if he does, will he get another Nobel Peace prize?

OK, It's Obama, But . . .

2008-05-13T04:03:00.001-04:00

After two weak presidential campaigns, in 2000 and 2004 with two men, Gore and Kerry who were not capable of standing up to the Republicans and fighting, the Democrats have finally got a fighter who is willing to go on until the last count. The Democrats have needed a candidate with that kind of fortitude for a long time.

Barack Obama is not a fighter and has winced every step of the way. Mrs. Clinton has actually forced him to be a better candidate against his will. Wait until the Republicans get ahold of him.

Hollis MacArthur
Irvine, Calif., May 9, 2008

in a letter to the editor of the NYTimes

What's Wrong with Democrats?

2008-05-09T01:29:00.001-04:00

Most commentators overlook a key fact.

If the Democrats had used a nominating process that's aimed at winning the November election (like the Republicans) Hillary would have easily won the nomination and would have had no trouble beating McCain.

Instead the Democrats used a process which seeks to be fair to all candidates. So, we had protracted process that did not result in an early and definitive nomination.

The likely Democratic candidate, Barack Obama carries so much baggage that he may actually lose to McCain. That is a truly inferior result for the Democrats.

How can one party be so utterly inept at winning the Presidency?

2008-05-07T18:24:00.009-04:00

Michelle: "We can hardly wait to start make those changes we can believe in."

Barack: "Do you remember what they were? Did you by any chance write them down?"

Better than A Cartoon

2008-05-07T15:26:00.002-04:00

Medvedev: "Give me a moment. I'm trying to think."

Putin: "See the kind of incompetence I have to put up with . . ."

Education GI Bill - The Key to Permanent Economic Growth

2008-05-06T14:06:00.003-04:00

Bob Herbert reports that a bi-partisan group of Senators is proposing a GI Bill of Rights for Iraq War veterans. (Bush opposes it, but Congress may have enough votes to over-ride a Bush veto.)

As shown in the post WWII GI Bill, the Veterans benefitted by being subsidized in getting a college education and the Nation benefitted from the great increase in intellectual capital. The Government benefitted handsomely from increase of income tax revenues as the veterans succeeded in business and the professions. It was an all around magnificent win.

Given that wonderful experience, it would seem to like a very good idea to extend education subsidies to all college aspirants, not just Iraq war veterans.

Obama Is Outraged

2008-05-05T02:43:00.002-04:00

Michelle Obama: Barack has hit boiling point
By Tim Shipman in Raleigh, North Carolina

Barack Obama is struggling to contain his anger and frustration over the constant barrage of questions about his character and judgment, his wife has revealed.

Michelle Obama lifted the lid on the irritation felt by the leading Democrat candidate for the White House at the way anti-American outbursts by his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, have dogged his campaign.
He is said to be itching to turn all his fire on John McCain, the Republican candidate, who is benefiting most from Mr Obama's protracted tussle with Hillary Clinton.
Mrs Obama told a rally in Durham, North Carolina, on Friday that only her husband's desire to change US politics had helped him to control his feelings: "Barack is always thinking three steps ahead – what do we need to do to make change."
Her husband was thinking "I can't let my ego, my anger, my frustration get in the way of the ultimate goal," she said.
"Barack has been characterised as many things that have nothing to do with who he is."
Senator Obama has known the Rev Wright for more than 20 years, but he was forced to end their friendship last week over repeated claims by his pastor that America was to blame for the 9/11 attacks and for spreading the Aids virus.
New polls show the affair may have derailed Mr Obama's chances of sealing a double win in Tuesday's North Carolina and Indiana primary elections, which might have ended Mrs Clinton's hopes.
Instead, in just a week, Mrs Clinton has reversed a narrow Obama lead in Indiana and is closing fast in North Carolina, where Mr Obama had hoped for a convincing win.
A poll on Saturday found 58 per cent of voters believe his de-nunciation of the Rev Wright was merely an act of political expediency.
The Rasmussen survey found 56 per cent of voters thought it likely that Obama shares some of his pastor's anti-American views.

From:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/1924872/Michelle-Obama-Barack-has-hit-boiling-point.html?service=print

From McCoy:

Great Cartoon

2008-05-03T14:38:00.003-04:00

For A Preview of How the GOP Will Slash and Burn Candidate Obama

2008-05-02T03:37:00.002-04:00

See the Krauthammer column.

Krauthammer writes the truth, with elegance and wit. His column should be required reading for all students who were required to read Obama's ballyhooed speech on race relations.

Are We Going to Face Our Education Problems Before It's Too Late?

2008-05-02T02:57:00.004-04:00

Today's Brooks column points out a truth that has been obvious, but ignored, for a long time.

It's not globalization that needs to concern us but the lack of investment in intellectual capital.

The well-being of the citizens of any country is attributable mainly to the level of education of its people. Tell me the proportion of college graduates (excluding religious studies) in a country and I'll tell you how high the standard of living is. It's that simple.

After World War II, our Government, fearing a return of the Great Depression, instituted the GI Bill of Rights, which included college scholarships for all returning veterans. Send them to college to reduce the ranks of the unemployed.

The unexpected consequence was a huge increase in the intellectual capital of the nation and the greatest economic boom in the nation's history. The money spent on subsidizing higher education was recaptured by the Government many times over in the form of taxes on the greatly increased incomes of the newly-educated masses.

We seem to have forgotten the lesson. In the face of the rising cost of education, Governments at all levels have reduced their support.

Where will that get us?

Why Does Obama Pander to Republicans?

2008-05-02T02:47:00.001-04:00

See today's Krugman column .

Is that Obama's concept of "Change we can believe in?"

Why Support Obama?

2008-05-01T01:34:00.000-04:00

Now that we know Obama better and "Yes we can" is gone and "Change we can believe in" has become totally empty, what are the reasons for supporting Obama, aside from:

1. His semi-blackness, and

2. That he is not a woman.

Obama Is A Phony

2008-04-30T00:58:00.000-04:00

Obama's denunciation of Rev. Wright is not convincing. Obama does not explain the contradiction between his present displeasure with the Rev. and the Obama family long-term participation in the Rev.'s church and attendance at his rabidly racist sermons.

The net is this: Obama has been exposed as a phony and there is no way he wriggle out of his predicament.

What Will Ballmer Do?

2008-04-29T17:37:00.003-04:00

An article in today's NYTimes speculates about Ballmer's actions regarding the potential Yahoo acquisition.

What is extraordinary about this speculative article is that the interests of the Microsoft stockholders are not even mentioned.

Legally, Microsoft is not Ballmer's toy. He is supposed to maximize stockholder value, not aggrandize his aging and shrinking ego.

It is abundantly evident that Microsoft has very little talent for acquisitions and diversifications.

Let them manage a declining business and pay out the profits in the form of dividends and permit their stockholders to make their own diversification decisions. They are likely to do better than Ballmer.

Why Is Rev. Wright Wrecking Obama's Campaign?

2008-04-29T03:21:00.002-04:00

The opening sentence of Bob Herbert's column :

"The Rev. Jeremiah Wright went to Washington on Monday not to praise Barack Obama, but to bury him."

Later:

"The question that cries out for an answer from Mr. Wright is why — if he is so passionately committed to liberating and empowering blacks — does he seem so insistent on wrecking the campaign of the only African-American ever to have had a legitimate shot at the presidency."

My proposed answer to the question:

Rev. Wright's claim to legitimacy rests on the mistreatment of blacks by whites. But if a black becomes President of the of the U.S., that would be evidence that blacks are not so badly mistreated by whites and Rev. Wright appears to have lost his legitimacy.

Rev. Wright is enjoying enormously the attention he is getting which would not happen except for the youtube snippets and Obama's candidacy.

What Wright needs is for the dispute to continue and ultimately for Obama to lose. Wright is doing his utmost to achieve both of these objectives.

The Obama fad has peaked.

2008-04-28T02:49:00.000-04:00

It is now in its declining phase.

Some of Obama's strongest supporters, the African-American op-ed columnists on the NYTimes and WaPost are warning Obama to show that he can fight as aggressively as Hillary or lose the election even if gets the nomination.

You know how Obama replied? He explained that he is not a fighter.

Where will that get him?

Obama Is Losing a Strong Supporter

2008-04-26T01:11:00.003-04:00

"Barack Obama is winning, so why does it look like Hillary Clinton is having all the fun?"

That is the first sentence of Bob Herbert's column.

The last sentence is:

"There is nothing more fiercely urgent for him (Obama) right now than to reassure voters and superdelegates that an Obama candidacy will not lead to a Democratic debacle in November."

Bob Herbert used to be strongly committed to Obama. Now, he sees him as a loser. Some change, and very sudden, too.

Self-Inflicted Confusion

2008-04-25T02:12:00.002-04:00

Maybe Barack Obama’s transformational campaign isn’t winning over working-class voters because transformation isn’t what they’re looking for.

See Krugman's column .

The Turning Point

2008-04-24T01:28:00.002-04:00

Evidence of a turning point:

1. Hillary raised $10,000,000 in 24 hours.

2. Cartoonist Pat Oliphant (who has been burning Hillary mercilessly) admits the possibility of the Clintons going back to the White House.

3. Cartoonist Jeff Danziger takes a "bitter" swipe at Obama - something he had never done before.

See cartoons at: http://laughlines.blogs.nytimes.com/

“Why can’t he close the deal?”

2008-04-23T01:20:00.002-04:00

That's the question that Hillary asked after she won Pennsylvania.

Why can't Obama close the deal? He outspent Hillary 2 to 1 in campaign advertising. He has all the bloggers and much of the media giving him a free ride and most of all he claims that he has unique skills that enable him to convert opponents to supporters.

He even pigs out on hi-carb foods to prove that he is one of the boys.

Why can’t he close the deal? What's the answer?

Why Does This Man Look So Sick?

2008-04-22T16:10:00.000-04:00

What Did Carter Accomplish?

2008-04-21T11:48:00.002-04:00

Absolutely nothing.

Why?

Because he went to Hamas on the assumption that Carter's superior talking skills would lead to peace between Israel and Hamas.

Carter is senile if he thinks that talking is the key.

The key is for both sides to want peace more than war.

When Carter brokered peace between Egypt and Israel, success came not from Carter's talking skills but from Egypt's strong need for peace.

Hamas does not want or need peace. They need war. War is what keeps them in power. Hamas has no skills for managing a peaceful Palestine. They can only arm young men, put black ski-masks on their faces and march them off to suicide. They will settle for nothing less than the utter destruction of Israel. Israel can not negotiate while its own destruction is goal of the other side.

Case closed.

Carter is a senile fool.

Senility Personified

2008-04-19T02:18:00.000-04:00

New Pictures on Flicker

2008-04-18T19:26:00.002-04:00

For a larger version of this photo and some other new pictures, go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51072101@N00/?saved=1

What If . . .?

2008-04-18T01:38:00.002-04:00

What if McCain chooses Lieberman as his Vice Presidential candidate?

Assuming that Obama is the Democratic candidate, the Republicans could win Connecticut in the general election and possibly New York and maybe even New Jersey and even California.

And the Democrats would lose another Presidential election that at one time looked like a sure win.

What Happened to Obama's Unique Appeal?

2008-04-18T01:24:00.002-04:00

Obama used to claim that he would (single-handedly) improve the practice of politics. He would somehow get all politicians to unite in support of the changes that the American people can believe in.

What happened?

In the real world, Hillary, whose proposed policies are not greatly different from his own, does not cooperate with Obama at all. She ridicules him. She criticizes him. She weakens his position in the general election by providing the Republicans with verbal ammunition to use against Obama.

What happened to Obama's claimed ability to unite all in support of change we can believe in?

Poor Obama. His main claim is revealed to be a big lie. He does not have the ability to convert opponents to supporters, after all. He is just another politician.

Obama Is No Social Scientist

2008-04-16T15:56:00.001-04:00

Obama jumped to an unwarranted conclusion and he and his followers treat his boneheaded remark as an awkward truth.

Obama may well have observed that small-town Americans are religious, prize their guns and are suspicious of people who are not like them but where is the evidence that these traits are caused by loss of jobs?

In fact, small-town Americans were religious, prized their guns and were suspicious of people who are not like them even when they had the good jobs.

Obama is no social scientist. He is just a tin-horn politician. The only reason that he is leading the Democratic primary contest is that Hillary has grossly mismanaged her campaign.

Run-away High Food Prices

2008-04-07T02:20:00.004-04:00

Krugman has a good column outlining most of the causes of rising food prices.

He left out the most troublesome reason - run-away population growth, especially in Africa and other Moslem areas, Egypt and Palestine, for example. Families with eight children are not uncommon, also in Latin America.

Chinese "Swan Lake"

2008-03-28T16:33:00.000-04:00

Like you have never seen before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOqxSaW05p4

Is Obama's Pitch Credible?

2008-03-28T01:06:00.002-04:00

Obama's sole reason for running for the Presidency is that he will end the partisanship that rules American politics. He claims that, as President, he will persuade Democrats and Republicans to agree on important issues.

He asks us to accept this claim without showing any evidence that he has ever done that.

Well, we are witnessing an acid test. If Obama cannot prevent fracturing the Democratic party with an opponent whose priorities he shares almost 100%, how can we believe that Obama will secure total agreement of politicians who truly oppose his views?

I, for one, do not believe this. In my opinion, Obama principal rationale for running is bogus. He is an empty suit, a total phony with delusions of grandeur.

Obama Changes the Subject

2008-03-19T13:20:00.002-04:00

Obama has no experience.

Obama has no resume.

Obama has never done anything noteworthy.

As Chairman of a Senate Sub-Committee on Europe, he never traveled to Europe. He never called any Committee meetings.

So, what's his excuse for running for the Presidency?

He has good judgment. He expressed opposition to the Iraq war when there was no political risk in doing that, before he was a U.S. Senator.

Now an ugly story about his pastor for 20 years has been revealed. Rev. Wright has said "God damn America." He has ranted and raved about how bad our country is, etc. He is angry that whites are not kind enough to blacks.

Obama's judgment is called into question. If he has such good judgment, why didn't he change churches? Why didn't he take his family to a church that preaches problem-solving instead of hate?

The obvious answer is that Obama does not have good judgement. He is a schmuck.

He can't admit admit to that because a schmuck is not entitled to be President.

So, what does he do? He changes the subject. He gives us a lecture on discrimination.

Who asked Obama to lecture us on discrimination, or anything else, for that matter?

Finally, Someone Counted the Electoral College Votes

2008-03-09T18:47:00.002-04:00

"Hilary Clinton has won states with about 260 electoral votes and Barack Obama has won states with about 190," Rendell said. "We decide the president not by the popular vote. We decide it by the Electoral College. The traditional role of superdelegates is to determine who's going to be our strongest candidate."

So, because of cockamamie rules of the DNC, Obama wins a lot of pissant states and has more delegates than Hillary. What really should count is the projection of Electoral College votes in the General Election and that's where Hillary has Obama beaten by a country mile: 260 to 190, or 58% vs. 42%.

If the DNC and the superdelegates want to win in November, they must choose Hillary.

The Rendell quote was cited at:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-talk/2008/03/mich_fla_dilemma_consumes_demo.html?hpid=topnews

What Is the Difference Between . . .

2008-03-07T18:13:00.002-05:00

a punctured baloon and Barack Obama?

That's the substance of David Brooks' column in today's NYTimes. Also echoed by Charles Kauthammer in the WaPo. See:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/opinion/07brooks.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

and

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/06/AR2008030603113.html?nav=hcmodule

Hillary's Mistakes

2008-02-25T14:08:00.002-05:00

Hillary made the mistake of being overconfident. After all she was worldwide famous and Obama was an obscure local politician.

As a consequence of her overconfidence, she ran a halfhearted campaign and did not bother to learn from the successes of her predecessors. Two examples stand out:

1. She did not learn from Howard Dean's very successful grass roots fund raising. She did not attempt to raise money through the Internet from millions of willing donors.

2. She did not learn from the GOP outstanding organizers in getting out the vote in 2004.

As such, she blew a huge hole in her claims of having experience, being able to hit the ground running, etc. She showed herself not to be ready for the big time, in spite of her grandiose claims.

Ultimately, she showed herself to be another moderately competent politician trying to cash in on her husband's success.

So the Democrats have to choose between a delusional man who claims to be, in effect the second coming of Christ and a an old woman unready for the responsibilities of the Presidency. Oh yes, we can vote for McCain. Some choices.

It's All About Obama All the Time

2008-02-25T04:35:00.002-05:00

We've been waiting for Obama a long time. Jews have been waiting for the Messiah and Christians have been waiting for the second coming of Christ.

The long wait is over. Obama has arrived!

When Obama sings and dances, the Republicans and the lobbies will fold their tents. Hezbollah, al Qaida and all our other enemies will kiss Obama's ring. If you believe that, I've got a bridge I want to sell you.

See Kristol's column .

Proof that Obama Lies

2008-02-20T01:48:00.002-05:00

See Samuelson's column column in the WaPo.

The last paragraph:

The contrast between Obama's broad rhetoric and his narrow agenda is stark, and yet the media have treated his invocation of "change" as a serious idea rather than a shallow campaign slogan. He seems to have hypnotized much of the media and the public with his eloquence and the symbolism of his life story. The result is a mass delusion that Obama is forthrightly engaging the nation's major problems when, so far, he isn't.

Obama Likens Himself to . . . .

2008-02-18T17:24:00.002-05:00

Martin Luther King and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. See Zeleny article.

I am old enough to remember MLK and FDR and I can fearlessly say that Obama is not even fit to shine their shoes.

Another Good Column

2008-02-15T10:19:00.001-05:00

David Brooks has an excellent column about building up intellectual capital.

Good Column

2008-02-15T02:38:00.001-05:00

I don't always agree with Krauthammer, but he really hit the nail on the head this time.

What We Can Expect from the GOP

2008-02-13T19:49:00.001-05:00

Obama's Delegate Deficit

2008-02-07T01:54:00.000-05:00

Latest delegate count (including super-delegates), according to the NYTimes:

Hillary 1096
Obama 815

Needed to win = 2025.

Hillary has 54% of the amount needed.
Obama has 43% of the amount needed.

Considering that Obama's campaign which is based entirely on his charm, misogyny and Black racism is running out of steam (see page 1 in today's NYT), there is no way Obama will overcome his delegate deficit.

Religion in Politics

2008-02-06T07:34:00.000-05:00

"Hillary-hating is a religion, and belief in religious truth does not need a logical rationale." Posting on a NYTimes blog.

The exact same thing can be said of support for Obama. It is a personality cult, like worship of Mohammed or of Jesus Christ. Oprah stated her views very well: "I have seen my truth," in speaking of her support for Obama. Another way of putting is: "Don't bother me with the facts. My mind is made up."

To sum up, Obama benefits from three forces: Hillary-hate, religious passion and Black racism.

Those Biased Polls, Again

2008-02-06T01:50:00.000-05:00

Predicted that Hillary would lose CA by 1%. She won by 17%. In your face, "Kingmaker" Oprah.

Predicted that Hillary would win MA by 7%. She won by 15%. In your face, Senators Kennedy and Kerry.

It's About Time!

2008-02-04T01:35:00.000-05:00

It's about time that somebody exposed the falseness of Obama's dishonest baloney of ending polarization in government. See Dunn's article in the WaPo.

The most telling paragraph:

When tumult is absent, when everyone in a state is tranquil, Machiavelli wrote, "we can be sure that it is not a republic." Out of unity, Obama believes, change will somehow emerge. But only insignificant or incremental changes can come out of the compromises that are reached through consensus. Transformational change, on the other hand, is the product of conflict and polarization.

Krugman Rips Obama Health Insurance Plan

2008-02-04T00:56:00.000-05:00

See today's column .

Closing paragraph:

If Mrs. Clinton gets the Democratic nomination, there is some chance — nobody knows how big — that we’ll get universal health care in the next administration. If Mr. Obama gets the nomination, it just won’t happen.

Why Is Obama Smiling?

2008-01-30T11:41:00.000-05:00

See details at http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/scorecard/#D

Obama's Candidacy After Florida

2008-01-29T23:16:00.000-05:00

It flew out the window.

Why Do White, Educated Liberals Support Obama?

2008-01-29T10:45:00.000-05:00

According to expert pollsters, white well-educated liberals tend to support Obama, while poorer people and less well-educated support Hillary. Why?

One reason might be that, having achieved some financial success for themselves, they can now afford to show their broad-mindedness and lack of bias by supporting a Negro. Obama is an easy to accept Negro, he's no Jesse Jackson and certainly no Al Sharpton. He and his wife are both Ivy League-educated and Obama's soaring rhetoric reminds them of other Democratic buffoons that their parents supported, Jack Kennedy and Jimmy Carter, who also had big shining smiles (and who were utter failures as Presidents).

Also, Obama is an effective demagogue. His rhetoric does not address facts - it focuses on emotions. It bypasses the reasoning process. He whines about the contentious political process that some effete snobs are so tired of. As if Obama could change the political process. If he could, why doesn't he sing the right song to the Clintons and make them kiss his ring?

Poorer people cannot afford such flights of fancy. They need to stick to the realities of their lives. Middle class people worry about the out of sight cost of college education for their children. Others worry about health insurance they do not have and cannot afford. Retirement is a concern for many.

There you have it. Sometimes education and financial success lead to utter stupidity.

Why the Kennedys Support Obama

2008-01-29T06:13:00.000-05:00

Why are the Kennedys, veterans of hard-fought battles with Republicans, supporting a pretty boy spouting soaring rhetoric, but short on delivery?

Because they know that they have a skeleton in their closet: John F. Kennedy, former President shot to death in Dallas in 1963.

John F. Kennedy has achieved a mythical cult status. He is a lost "what might-have-been" President. He is the only reason the Kennedy gang that built its fortune on organized crime during Prohibition has any standing in American politics. Headed by ancient, alcohol brain-damaged Senator Ted Kennedy, himself a killer through drunken neglect of one of his many, many girl-friends, stood at a lectern yesterday, physically embraced Obama several times and made a stupid sloppy speech glorifying a thoroughly empty suit.

The Kennedys have been living a lie for nearly 50 years that John Kennedy was a bright spot on the American political scene.

In fact, he was nothing of the sort. He won the 1960 election through a long count of 7000 votes in Chicago under the watch of Mayor Daley, his political ally. Nixon was the rightful winner of the election and he knew it, but he decided not demand a recount because he wanted to avoid a constitutional crisis.

As President, Kennedy was a disaster. He was whore-master of such magnitude that, by comparison, Bill Clinton was a choir boy. He used his connections to organized crime to try to bring down Castro. Kennedy masterminded the Bay of Pigs fiasco. He managed to provoke the missile crisis that nearly started a nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union. And last, but not least, he was the initiator of the Vietnam nightmare that cost 58,000 American and 2 million Vietnamese lives.

Kennedy was warned not to go to Dallas in November 1963 because he was so strongly hated there, and certainly not ride in an open car. But he had to prove his bravery in the face of danger. Oh yeah, he proved that all right - a bullet in the brain.

This is the reality that the Kennedy mob has been painting and decorating for nearly 50 years. They have been living this lie for so long that they actually believe it. They are committed to the idea that a bright smile and a soaring line of hopeful chatter is more important than substance. So they back Obama.

F--k the Kennedys and f--k the John Kennedy myth. And f--k their support of Obama.