It's difficult to question the political competence of a guy that got himself elected to the presidency....but.... just what is BHO thinking with all his vacations?
He just spent ten days in Martha's Vinyard in August, and now he's going to Hawaii for seventeen days. By the count of Townhall.com, this is the president's 10th vacation this year.
Times are bad. People are pissed off at their government. This president suffers from a bit of disconnect with the rest of us anyway (anyone seen the price of arugula lately?)
If I had the president's ear, I would tell him to cool it a little bit on the globe trekking. (Oh, and what about his carbon footprint?)
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Excellence in Crisis Management at Mizzou
Head Coach Gary Pinkel, Athletic Director Mike Alden and the media relations staff at the University of Missouri Columbia should all go have a cocktail and celebrate. Their handling of the bomb that went off in Columbia late Wednesday evening was a Tiger-Woods-tee-shot kind of perfect.
I was listening when Producer Joe broke the news on KFNS sometime around 8:30 Thursday morning, and as I sit here Friday evening, the fire is all but out. Credit the aforementioned for their swift and masterful response.
Embarrassing events like this linger only for as long as there is something new to report or some new angle emerges from which to view the story; therefore the strategy is to accelerate the news cycles and get the story over with as quickly as possible.
In this instance, it seems someone in Columbia has a flux capacitor and a 1.21 gigawatt power source. Within 48 hours of the police officer lighting up Pinkel's SUV, all of these events....each worthy of a full newscycle....are over and done with.
Obviously, it helps a lot that nobody was hurt, but the University did everything right from the get go here.
Pinkel fully cooperated from the start, obviously gaining the favor of the arresting officer and the Columbia Police department. The head football coach at the University was arrested for DWI and the media was kept in the dark for ten hours in this day and age? But wait, this guy was a lot more than just a head coach. Most credit Missouri's success under Pinkel to his personal discipline and the manner in which that discipline is reflected by his players and coaches.
Alden immediately imposed severe and inarguably sufficient financial and personal consequences. This whole thing will cost Pinkel about $300,000 in fines and forfeited pay. He'll perform community service. He'll write a full letter of apology to the University, players, students, alumni and fans. For good measure, he'll even get a demerit in his permanent file.
Pinkel then wasted no time accepting the punishment and meeting with his players and coaching staff.
Alden was certain to meet privately with all relevant parties at the University before cramming in the full blown news conference right before the evening news.
Then somehow the attorneys managed to wrap up the legal end today. I'm not an attorney, but I can't imagine that adjudicating DWI's in a day is the norm. Seems to me it usually would take months, but once again I credit the University here.
This is pure speculation on my part, but it makes sense to me. Someone ( perhaps Mike Alden, University President Brady Deaton, or an attorney acting on their behalf) made a phone call and brokered a deal. The University agrees to come down hard on Pinkel. The Columbia Police Department agrees not create a media circus. The courts and the prosecutor's office agree to move swiftly in imposing whatever the standard penance is, and Pinkel agrees to support all the other institutions in their handling of the matter.
And just like that, the wildfire is contained. Sure, it will smolder for the remainder of the season but the damage was kept to a minimum. Nobody will lose a job and the football program shouldn't miss a beat in it's move to the SEC.
I was listening when Producer Joe broke the news on KFNS sometime around 8:30 Thursday morning, and as I sit here Friday evening, the fire is all but out. Credit the aforementioned for their swift and masterful response.
Embarrassing events like this linger only for as long as there is something new to report or some new angle emerges from which to view the story; therefore the strategy is to accelerate the news cycles and get the story over with as quickly as possible.
In this instance, it seems someone in Columbia has a flux capacitor and a 1.21 gigawatt power source. Within 48 hours of the police officer lighting up Pinkel's SUV, all of these events....each worthy of a full newscycle....are over and done with.
- Gary Pinkel is arrested on suspicion of DWI.
- The evidence against Gary Pinkel is released. Officers speak to the press. BAC is reported etc.
- Gary Pinkel meets with the Athletic Director, then the School Administration and finally his team.
- The aforementioned parties all make issue statements and punishment is doled out.
- The Athletic Director gets in front of the cameras.
- Finally (and most importantly) the entirety of the legal process. All of it. It's done.
Obviously, it helps a lot that nobody was hurt, but the University did everything right from the get go here.
Pinkel fully cooperated from the start, obviously gaining the favor of the arresting officer and the Columbia Police department. The head football coach at the University was arrested for DWI and the media was kept in the dark for ten hours in this day and age? But wait, this guy was a lot more than just a head coach. Most credit Missouri's success under Pinkel to his personal discipline and the manner in which that discipline is reflected by his players and coaches.
Alden immediately imposed severe and inarguably sufficient financial and personal consequences. This whole thing will cost Pinkel about $300,000 in fines and forfeited pay. He'll perform community service. He'll write a full letter of apology to the University, players, students, alumni and fans. For good measure, he'll even get a demerit in his permanent file.
Pinkel then wasted no time accepting the punishment and meeting with his players and coaching staff.
Alden was certain to meet privately with all relevant parties at the University before cramming in the full blown news conference right before the evening news.
Then somehow the attorneys managed to wrap up the legal end today. I'm not an attorney, but I can't imagine that adjudicating DWI's in a day is the norm. Seems to me it usually would take months, but once again I credit the University here.
This is pure speculation on my part, but it makes sense to me. Someone ( perhaps Mike Alden, University President Brady Deaton, or an attorney acting on their behalf) made a phone call and brokered a deal. The University agrees to come down hard on Pinkel. The Columbia Police Department agrees not create a media circus. The courts and the prosecutor's office agree to move swiftly in imposing whatever the standard penance is, and Pinkel agrees to support all the other institutions in their handling of the matter.
And just like that, the wildfire is contained. Sure, it will smolder for the remainder of the season but the damage was kept to a minimum. Nobody will lose a job and the football program shouldn't miss a beat in it's move to the SEC.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
(Race Hustling) cat got your tongue?
The cowardice of the local media and opinionate is both predictable and infuriating.
For those who haven't heard, (and I don't blame you a bit) a 51 year old white man was beaten near death yesterday by a mob of between 10 and 20 black "youths." Mayor Slay, on his way home from the Fox, happened upon the scene as the mob was dispersing and before police arrived. He called the police and ambulance, then he stayed with the man until help arrived.
For a news site looking to drive traffic, this is manna from heaven. For the serious journalist, this is the kind of story that reminds you why you went to j school. Editorial boards exist to comment on matters such as this.
But this story is barely being covered. Four quick paragraphs buried under the tabs.
Sadly, this is exactly how this whole series of racial beatings have been covered. Not just in St. Louis, but throughout the country.
The first one I heard about was at a fair in Wisconsin. Dozens of black youths descended upon the fair near closing time and proceeded to beat random white men. Four or more assailants to each victim.
Then came Philadelphia. A series of these "flash mob" beatings or games of "knockdown" as they are known occurred rapidly over a short period of time. After a couple of weeks, the mayor made a weak remark making clear that he was not completely deaf as to the events in his city.
Locally, there have been at least four of these attacks since early summer. One of the victims was an 81 year old man.
Yet nobody is talking about this. It is an outrage!
We have become so afraid of offending the perpetually offended, that our media and politicians are doing as little as possible about this and just hoping nobody makes them talk about. Are we that afraid of the Al Sharptons of the world that we don't dare give this issue the coverage it deserves? Is the Post-Dispatch so afraid of being called racist that it's willing to wipe its backside with Joseph Pulitzer's pledge while it hides in the proverbial bathroom hoping this will go away?
As a society, we can not tolerate this sort of thing. There is a good reason that if the colors were reversed, then this would lead every newscast and be commented by on by all important officials and every editorial page. In today's hypersensitive and racially charged world, rampant racial violence could very quickly escalate and disrupt civil tranquility.
It the politicians remain silent and the courts continue to dish out probation for these beatings, someone is going take justice into his own hands by arming himself and luring this gang into an attack that will end in a bloodbath. Once that happens, all bets are off.
It's high time we all grow a pair and stop being intimidated by the race hustlers of the world. Al Sharpton and his ilk raising their voice and accusing someone of being racist for dealing with this head on is of no more importance than same voices accusing someone of being a tomato. Neither makes it true.
For those who haven't heard, (and I don't blame you a bit) a 51 year old white man was beaten near death yesterday by a mob of between 10 and 20 black "youths." Mayor Slay, on his way home from the Fox, happened upon the scene as the mob was dispersing and before police arrived. He called the police and ambulance, then he stayed with the man until help arrived.
For a news site looking to drive traffic, this is manna from heaven. For the serious journalist, this is the kind of story that reminds you why you went to j school. Editorial boards exist to comment on matters such as this.
But this story is barely being covered. Four quick paragraphs buried under the tabs.
Sadly, this is exactly how this whole series of racial beatings have been covered. Not just in St. Louis, but throughout the country.
The first one I heard about was at a fair in Wisconsin. Dozens of black youths descended upon the fair near closing time and proceeded to beat random white men. Four or more assailants to each victim.
Then came Philadelphia. A series of these "flash mob" beatings or games of "knockdown" as they are known occurred rapidly over a short period of time. After a couple of weeks, the mayor made a weak remark making clear that he was not completely deaf as to the events in his city.
Locally, there have been at least four of these attacks since early summer. One of the victims was an 81 year old man.
Yet nobody is talking about this. It is an outrage!
We have become so afraid of offending the perpetually offended, that our media and politicians are doing as little as possible about this and just hoping nobody makes them talk about. Are we that afraid of the Al Sharptons of the world that we don't dare give this issue the coverage it deserves? Is the Post-Dispatch so afraid of being called racist that it's willing to wipe its backside with Joseph Pulitzer's pledge while it hides in the proverbial bathroom hoping this will go away?
As a society, we can not tolerate this sort of thing. There is a good reason that if the colors were reversed, then this would lead every newscast and be commented by on by all important officials and every editorial page. In today's hypersensitive and racially charged world, rampant racial violence could very quickly escalate and disrupt civil tranquility.
It the politicians remain silent and the courts continue to dish out probation for these beatings, someone is going take justice into his own hands by arming himself and luring this gang into an attack that will end in a bloodbath. Once that happens, all bets are off.
It's high time we all grow a pair and stop being intimidated by the race hustlers of the world. Al Sharpton and his ilk raising their voice and accusing someone of being racist for dealing with this head on is of no more importance than same voices accusing someone of being a tomato. Neither makes it true.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Internet Reasoning
Recently, I took to the interwebs to discuss the debt ceiling crisis. A blogger linked to a news story regarding Democratic pressure on Obama to just invoke the 14th amendment and order the treasury to issue new debt. I made a very benign comment about separation of powers and the left's objection to the growing executive power under President Bush.
This was the response I received.....and also a perfect example of why one shouldn't argue on the interwebs.
"Steven - The issue isn't the political kabuki - Dems, Reps, Teabaggers, Obama are all happy to screw people in the service of their masters. The white hot rage on the right will be made manifest by a Brievik, some heavily armed Xian bloodthirsty nutcase whose hatred of Blackblack Oblackblack finally is pushed past the fundamental cowardice innate to that movement, ie, the 101st Fighting Keyboarders ("Arise Chickenhawks").
These are bad people, Steven. When a liberal is angered, we try, unfortunately not hard enough, to change the policy, or far more commonly spew nonsense about 3rd parties. (Why, yes I'm a lib, and proud of it, but I recognize our issues.) When a teabagger is angry, he DREAMS of killing people, bathing in the blood of libs, muslims, blacks,those slutty women who sleep with men who are not him and then have gaybortions. And more and more often, some of these assholes are finding the "strength within" to kill the hated Other.
I don't fear the Islamists, few in number as they truly are. They simply want you to convert or die. Most Muslims don't give a shit, they have their own lives to manage. I fear the American right-wing - they want control, to suck our your brains and replace them with THEIR version of Jesusjuice. If you're gay or liberal, and white, you can be redeemed if you mouth the appropriate phrases and cast your free will to the wind. (Of course, anyone failing the paper bag test, any woman inclined to think for herself, screw 'em. Lesbians are a special case because the church councils are still watching the films to determine if its a sin or not.) And there is a mechanism in place to allow the Baggers of Lightly Caffeinated Boiled Leaves to take power.
Hell, here in the Cities, in the largest school district, (in Batshit Kwazee Shelley's Congressional district, with the schoolboard populated by her personal friends), the bullying policy specifically exempts GLBT teens from protection from bullying, and in fact protects the bullies - go ahead, beat that queer.
The American right is the greatest threat to the future of the United States."
Wow!!!
The amazing thing to me is that this person is far from an idiot. Grammar and vocabulary indicate an intelligent and educated person.
This was the response I received.....and also a perfect example of why one shouldn't argue on the interwebs.
"Steven - The issue isn't the political kabuki - Dems, Reps, Teabaggers, Obama are all happy to screw people in the service of their masters. The white hot rage on the right will be made manifest by a Brievik, some heavily armed Xian bloodthirsty nutcase whose hatred of Blackblack Oblackblack finally is pushed past the fundamental cowardice innate to that movement, ie, the 101st Fighting Keyboarders ("Arise Chickenhawks").
These are bad people, Steven. When a liberal is angered, we try, unfortunately not hard enough, to change the policy, or far more commonly spew nonsense about 3rd parties. (Why, yes I'm a lib, and proud of it, but I recognize our issues.) When a teabagger is angry, he DREAMS of killing people, bathing in the blood of libs, muslims, blacks,those slutty women who sleep with men who are not him and then have gaybortions. And more and more often, some of these assholes are finding the "strength within" to kill the hated Other.
I don't fear the Islamists, few in number as they truly are. They simply want you to convert or die. Most Muslims don't give a shit, they have their own lives to manage. I fear the American right-wing - they want control, to suck our your brains and replace them with THEIR version of Jesusjuice. If you're gay or liberal, and white, you can be redeemed if you mouth the appropriate phrases and cast your free will to the wind. (Of course, anyone failing the paper bag test, any woman inclined to think for herself, screw 'em. Lesbians are a special case because the church councils are still watching the films to determine if its a sin or not.) And there is a mechanism in place to allow the Baggers of Lightly Caffeinated Boiled Leaves to take power.
Hell, here in the Cities, in the largest school district, (in Batshit Kwazee Shelley's Congressional district, with the schoolboard populated by her personal friends), the bullying policy specifically exempts GLBT teens from protection from bullying, and in fact protects the bullies - go ahead, beat that queer.
The American right is the greatest threat to the future of the United States."
Wow!!!
The amazing thing to me is that this person is far from an idiot. Grammar and vocabulary indicate an intelligent and educated person.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Robert Reich is a buffoon....and Social Security is Broke!
"........Social Security isn't responsible for the federal deficit. Just the opposite. Until last year Social Security took in more payroll taxes than it paid out in benefits. It lent the surpluses to the rest of the government.
Now that Social Security has started to pay out more than it takes in, Social Security can simply collect what the rest of the government owes it. This will keep it fully solvent for the next 26 years."
Robert Reich
Former Labor Secretary
Professor at Berkely
This is absolutely nuts.
Where does the Former Labor Secretary think the federal government is going to get the money it needs to pay back social security? Last year, the federal government had a deficit of somewhere between 1.1 and 1.8 Trillion dollars. One out of every three dollars it spent, it borrowed. Some of that money was borrowed from social security??? Now it's going to magically start paying back money to social security????
Mr. Reich is obviously a very smart fellow.....but come on.....does he really believe this crap??
Now that Social Security has started to pay out more than it takes in, Social Security can simply collect what the rest of the government owes it. This will keep it fully solvent for the next 26 years."
Robert Reich
Former Labor Secretary
Professor at Berkely
This is absolutely nuts.
Where does the Former Labor Secretary think the federal government is going to get the money it needs to pay back social security? Last year, the federal government had a deficit of somewhere between 1.1 and 1.8 Trillion dollars. One out of every three dollars it spent, it borrowed. Some of that money was borrowed from social security??? Now it's going to magically start paying back money to social security????
Mr. Reich is obviously a very smart fellow.....but come on.....does he really believe this crap??
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Infuriating
"........happened because of the same reason the Civil War happened in the United States. The Civil War happened because the Southern states, particularly the slave-holding states, didn't want to see a president who was opposed to slavery. In this case a lot of people in this country, I believe, don't want to be governed by an African American, particularly one who is inclusive, who is liberal, who wants to spend money on everyone and who wants to reach out to include everyone in our society. That's a basic philosophical clash."
Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.)
----Congressman Moran's take on why Democrats were ousted from power in 2010----
A good scolding is needed by the citizens in Congressman Moran's district. Although they certainly aren't alone in sending morons to congress; they sent this guy.
I ask the good people of his district to look around at your neighbors. Do they look like a bunch of unreconstructed yokels hell bent on succession over having a black president? Do they? Are we as passionately divided over the president's skin color as the nation was over slavery and the power struggle between the federal and state government?
The answer to both questions is an obvious and resounding no.
How do jack-asses like this guy get elected? Plenty of blame to go around, and I hear it all the time. "Special interest money," or "disenfranchised youth or minority voters," or blah blah blah effing blah.
I'll tell you who's at fault. Us. You and me pal. We are the ones who continue to elect these people. It's a democracy. He was seated in the house because he won the most votes in his district.
I have no earthly idea about this man's politics, and I don't care. All I need to know is he believes that the tens of millions of voters that disagree with him are just a bunch of dumb racists incapable of seeing past the president's skin color.
Our country has a lot of problems, and we are never going to solve them with guys like this running the show.
So to the people of his district....You should be ashamed of yourselves. I really wish I could line you all up and go R. Lee Ermy on your asses. You're not alone. Plenty of others failed to live up to their end of the bargain as well, but this one is on you.
Now get your asses in gear and fix the problem.
Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.)
----Congressman Moran's take on why Democrats were ousted from power in 2010----
A good scolding is needed by the citizens in Congressman Moran's district. Although they certainly aren't alone in sending morons to congress; they sent this guy.
I ask the good people of his district to look around at your neighbors. Do they look like a bunch of unreconstructed yokels hell bent on succession over having a black president? Do they? Are we as passionately divided over the president's skin color as the nation was over slavery and the power struggle between the federal and state government?
The answer to both questions is an obvious and resounding no.
How do jack-asses like this guy get elected? Plenty of blame to go around, and I hear it all the time. "Special interest money," or "disenfranchised youth or minority voters," or blah blah blah effing blah.
I'll tell you who's at fault. Us. You and me pal. We are the ones who continue to elect these people. It's a democracy. He was seated in the house because he won the most votes in his district.
I have no earthly idea about this man's politics, and I don't care. All I need to know is he believes that the tens of millions of voters that disagree with him are just a bunch of dumb racists incapable of seeing past the president's skin color.
Our country has a lot of problems, and we are never going to solve them with guys like this running the show.
So to the people of his district....You should be ashamed of yourselves. I really wish I could line you all up and go R. Lee Ermy on your asses. You're not alone. Plenty of others failed to live up to their end of the bargain as well, but this one is on you.
Now get your asses in gear and fix the problem.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Whose to Blame?
It sends a chill up my spine to know that I was there just last week. Situated in the shadows of the Catalina Mountains, at the corner of Ina and Oracle in Tucson, Arizona (and not far from my parent’s house where my family spent the Holidays) is the Safeway grocery store where Rep. Gabby Giffords was meeting with constituents when the shooting began. Seconds later, six were dead and Giffords had suffered a through and through headshot. Today, she clings to life at a Tucson hospital.
The reaction was as predictable as an eastern sunrise. Keith Olbermann issued a special comment. Essay after essay sprang up on the Huffington post. ABC News This Week with Christiane Amanpour spent nearly the entire hour discussing it. By “it,” I don’t necessarily mean the assassination attempt, but rather why this mass murder was really the fault of Sarah Palin/Glenn Beck/Bill O’Reilly/The Tea Party and the rest of the usual suspects.
The only befuddlement to me was how they were able to so quickly find some sort of link between this young monster and conservative politics. Turned out that was naiveté on my part. Apparently, there was no need for connection. That this tragedy occurred at all is apparently sufficient evidence for some to lay blame at the feet of their political opponents.
We don’t know much for sure because the young man who committed this crime isn’t talking, but it has turned that the “loud, angry voices of the right” probably didn’t have anything to do with this. The killer is known to his peers as having left leaning politics. Amongst his favorite books are Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto. He burned flags in his YouTube videos. To me, that doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that attends Tea Party events and Sarah Palin rallies. I guess I could be wrong, but I’m fairly confident I’m not.
Now that it’s been established that the young probably wasn’t obeying imaginary marching orders from Sarah Palin, the left is saying we should talk about the hateful rhetoric of our politics in light of this shooting. Ok, I agree with the conversation but not the context.
Is there too much vitriol and hate in our politics? Absolutely! And we should have a national conversation about how we treat one another in the political realm. We could start with the subject of blaming our political opponents for the murderous impulses of the criminally insane. I can hardly stand to watch cable news anymore. I can hardly stand to read comments on news stories. It’s to the point where if you disagree, not only are you wrong….you’re evil. You’re out to destroy the country. You’re Hitler!!
We should treat each other more respectfully in our political conversation, but that has nothing to do with this weekend’s tragedy or preventing others like it. This young man was a nut job who was going to kill whether or not Rush Limbaugh has a radio show or Sarah Palin has a website. Besides, the stakes are much higher than a random act of violence, and I say that with all sincerity.
Our nation has survived assassinations before. We’ve lost presidents and presidential candidates. We’ve survived mass shootings like those at Ft. Hood and Virginia Tech. This act, horrible as it is, does not threaten our democracy. Our democracy is too strong to be destroyed by a single deranged and psychotic social misfit.
The threat to our democracy is the way we demonize, marginalize, dehumanize and proscribe the worst intentions and beliefs upon those with whom we disagree. For example: those who are pro-choice are called baby killers. Pro-lifers are painted as women hating misogynists. Our current and previous presidents have both been called Hitler more times than google can count.
I would agree with some of the voices on the left about Glenn Beck/ Sarah Palin etc. I think some of their rhetoric is needlessly inflammatory. Sometimes, I also wish they would shut up. But I won’t join the left in trying to silence them by holding them responsible for actions in which they had no hand nor part.
An historic moment occurred just last week at the swearing in of the 112th congress. For the first time in our nation’s history, the constitution and all 27 amendments were read in full in the chamber of the House of Representatives. The 1st amendment was read by Gabby Giffords. As we pray for her recovery, let us remember that the answer to speech we don’t like is not to silence the voices we disagree with, but rather to add our own voice to the debate and to do so in a way that respects the humanity and intelligence of those that may disagree.
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