Disgusted in DC

Hardest I-told-you-so of my life.  I knew we were walking into the perfect storm in Detroit and it all came true.

Time to blow it up.  Get rid of Vinny, Zorn, Campbell, CP, Landry, Hall and Haynesworth.  I wish we could get rid of Snyder but it won’t happen.  I just hope they bring in a real GM.

I have tickets next weekend and have no idea what to expect.  The booing will begin before kickoff, and I imagine continue throughout the game.  The frustration has boiled over, the fans will no longer accept mediocrity, or the lousy team that a decade of mediocrity has created.

The Skins were the pride of my youth.  Sadly, they have become the embarrassment of my 20’s.  Thanks Danny.

Thanks NYT for the Plagiarism

While I will never prove it, I am pretty sure David Brooks must read my blog.  His column is in accord with my last post, either way BarryO is blowing his chances at this health care game.  Plenty of polls show it too.

Enjoy the weekend everyone.

With Great Power Comes…What Exactly?

The election of President Obama was a landslide.  There were celebrations in the streets from DC to Nairobi.  People were elated, and the international goodwill raised the worldwide image of the US after a ruinous 8 years of Bush leadership.

So where is the leader now?  He has the house passing the costliest, most ridiculous health bill ever seen on Capitol Hill and now his hand picked Attorney General is discussing prosecuting CIA officials after the POTUS guaranteed immunity for previous actions.

Simply put the President needs to exercise his considerable power and vast popularity.  Use the bully pulpit made famous by Reagan; come up with a realistic health bill and control Cabinet members.  What is worse is the President is getting pushed around by those in his own party.  Sweet ol’ Nancy Pelosi has been pushing Obama around since his inauguration, continuing to do so with both the health bill and the CIA witch hunt.

The House health bill has no chance of passing through the Senate.  Significant changes will be made before any bill gets to 1600 Penn.  The correct move would have been Obama inviting leaders from the House and Senate to devise a plan for a health bill, then those leaders going to their fellow legislators and writing the bill Obama wants, not to mention a bill with potential to pass.  Instead, extreme corners of the left hijacked the health bill, presenting an impossible, financially crippling bill to the Senate.  Thanks again Nancy.

As for the CIA, bad things happened.  We get it.   Don’t do it again, it is utterly un-American.  Please somebody tell Nancy and her cohorts on the periphery of the national conscience to move on.  At this point the over saturation of prisoner abuse and torture is approaching levels never before seen.  Or never before seen until the media circus that was MJ’s funeral anyway.

Seriously?

Is this dude really going to have a major impact on Health Care Reform in our country?  Why Minnesota, why?

This tool is now a US Senator

What is most jarring is the sudden importance of this comedian turned politician; Franken will sit on the Senate Judiciary committee to examine Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as well as a crucial spot on the Senate committee focused on health care reform.  Health care will be the biggest piece of legislation debated in 2009, now we have one of the most partisan elected officials in history as the 60th Democratic Senator, effectively making an unstoppable majority.  Franken contends he has come to Washington with no eye towards partisan politics; let us hope he is true to his word.

Fight the Good Fight

Great op-ed from Roger Cohen, reminds me why I went back to school and attempted this journalism stuff anyway.  Democracy is on the way to Tehran, a force bigger than any dictator, unless you’re in Honduras.

Sarah Palin, huh? 

These running shoes are made for walking

That speech rambled along like a 13 year old girl explaining her favorite Jonas Brother.  I realize her shtick is to speak from the heart, shoot from the hip or whatever cliche is applicable to nonsensical babbling, but, come on, she needs advisors in her camp that will stand up to the Duchess of Dumb.  Who thought the timing of the announcement would not be questioned?   Friday night of a holiday weekend screams avoidance.  Palin once possessed the personality and charisma to lead the Republican Party.  Through a series of ridiculous, often bizarre, actions, she will never reach that position.

Band Aids & Revolutions

Health care reform — can we save the time and call this a preliminary disaster?  Every American deserves the option to purchase health insurance; those who cannot afford insurance should be subsidized.  At the same time employers cannot be mandated to provide insurance for all employees.  Has Nancy Pelosi or any of her ridiculous brethren looked at an economic forecast lately?  Americans are losing jobs at a rapid pace; is it a good idea to force employers into more expenses?  No.  Employee mandates are the worst possible idea.

Nice shades Nanc....

 The most ridiculous part of this debate is that there is already a bi-partisan health care reform proposal on the table!!!   Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bob Bennet (R-UT) worked outside of party constraints and came up with a plan that is affordable to uninsured individuals and affordable to the federal government.  Best yet, the millions of Americans happy with their existing plan make no changes. 

The plan won’t work.  Politics are stronger than bright ideas, ultimately both Wyden and Bennet become pigeonholed by party leadership.  Something will happen on health care, my guess is by September, but why go through the absurd motions of floor debate in both chambers of Congress when an acceptable, perhaps preferable, plan already exists.

Across the world we have a much different problem.  Protesters are being killed in the streets, students brutalized by militia-titled teenage maniacs, all while the world watches Tehran.  We are right to watch, we cannot intervene due to the delicate nature of relations in the Middle East, and, sadly, because our armed forces are spread too thin throughout the rest of the region.

But at what point are we irresponsible to continue to encourage the protests?  I want nothing more than Ahmadinejad exiled like a modern day Napoleon, though time is the strongest asset the revolution has.  To expect a sudden implosion of power in Iran is naive, protesters should follow recent successes in Eastern Europe and continue to organize non-violently, slowly eradicating the power base from the bottom up. 

When students lay slaughtered in the streets of Beijing parts of the world expected democracy to take over in Mao’s backyard.  It still hasn’t.  No way is the Iranian autocracy nearly as forceful as their Chinese counterpart; however, we cannot expect the revolution to occur overnight.  All that occurs expecting overnight results are more tragedies, more blood in the streets.

Quiet Please

 When I was in college my friends and I watched and re-watched a tivoed HBO special of Jamie Foxx doing stand up.  One of my favorite bits was Foxx imploring various people in Hollywood and beyond to go “sit down somewhere”.  He gave this advice to OJ Simpson, Mike Tyson and others; basically telling them to avoid the limelight for a while, and be quiet.

 

I think much of the audience for President Barack Obama’s first Congressional address would be served to listen to similar advice.  Obviously the lights of politics never dim in Washington, but at this point America deserves politicians that will not incessantly provide standing ovations in ambitious attempts to advance their political agenda.  What might have been a 20 minute speech dragged on at least twice as long while the President consistently paused to receive the ovations.

 

I understand this is tradition, and it dates back some time.  I also understand the oratorical skill of Obama and the enthusiasm that inspires; however, these are serious times.  Our nation stands perilously near a cliff in almost every way imaginable – our finances drained, our military spread hazardously thin – perhaps those in power would allow a speech without posturing?

 

Leaders on both sides of the party spectrum played the role.  Senator Orrin Hatch appeared on camera more than Michael Vick at a PETA rally.  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi practically appeared to be in an aerobics class during the speech; she would jump from her chair to applaud with such speed it was almost jarring.  I realize these are the typical actions of politicians, but these are not typical times.  Americans are losing their jobs, losing their homes, losing their life-savings and with it their lives as they knew them.  Let us treat these times not with somber pessimism, but with the solemnity they deserve.  This was the essence of Obama’s speech, though it was hard to hear between all the clapping.

 

In similar times, FDR had his most success speaking directly to the nation in his historic Fireside Chats.  Perhaps that success was partly attributable to the lack of politically-themed interruptions.

Weird Timing

I found this interesting, not just the article but the content and the timing.  Is Rove trying to show us that Bush is in fact intelligent, which is obvious for someone with his education and professional credentials?  Rove created and sold the dumbed-down yokel, tough cowboy image that Bush rode to two terms of presidency.  Why now, a month before his tenure as President is over, cite his academic prowess.  Seems bizarre to me.

 

Enjoy the article, here is the link.

 

Rove is undoubtedly a political genius, though this move seems like a genuine act of friendship.  Perhaps after years of selling out his friend and ally as a hackneyed farmboy, Rove is willing to allow he is actually a blueblood prep-schooler.  There is nothing wrong with that, in fact most American Presidents come from similar wealthy, educated upbringings.  My best guess is Rove is trying to save some face for his old friend, who leaves 1600 Penn with the most tarnished Presidential legacy since Nixon.  Rove wants us to know the better side of George W. Bush, but sadly this comes too little, too late.

 

Great follow up by Richard Cohen here.

Where did the Footballs Go?

I love sports, all sports.  I remember once as a kid visiting family in England.  This was pre-internet, and my cousins didn’t even have cable.  I sat with my older cousin, he was probably 17 and I was 9, watching cricket.  I had no idea what was happening, but it was sports and it was on television, so I watched.

Fast forward to me at 27, with two glorious days off work, a couch and a flatscreen tv.  I understand Christmas is a time for family and friends, but for me college and pro football ARE my friends.  And I did not get to see my friends during Christmas.

I get that the NBA dominates Christmas.  I remember being glued to the tv in high school watching MJ battle the nerds from Utah on Christmas night, and I watched and enjoyed some of the games on Christmas day.  But let us not forget football is the horsepower in the sports engine, the bourbon in the egg nog.  People don’t like slow cars, and nobody drinks virgin egg nog. 

You mean to tell me that of 34 college bowl games not a single one could have been scheduled on Christmas?  Am I the only one who sees the potential for ratings?  You have almost the entire country off work, sitting at home, with NO FOOTBALL to watch?  Note to NBC, ABC, Spike, Versus, ESPN 1-7 and any other awful local sports affiliate; don’t complain about loss of advertising revenue when you refuse to capitalize on holidays stuffed with terrible programming.

The TV options on Christmas Day were so bad I ended up watching portions of three different Rocky movies.  I saw the end of II, the beginning of III and most of IV.  What is more amazing, the options were so bad my mother and sister — two decidedly anti-sport/boxing movie women — watched Sly Stallone mumble his way through Philadelphia with me.  By the time Rock knocked out Drago I even convinced my sister Rocky IV singlehandedly ended the Cold War.

Christmas morning, before my mom and sister arrived, my dad asked what football games were on.  I told him there weren’t any, he refused my claim, got up and checked the sports page.  He was astonished.  So was I.

Detroit Bailout City

The potential of Chrysler closing all 30 plants is undoubtedly sad and will leave many thousands of people in an incredible bind over the coming holiday weeks.  What needs to be pointed out, shouted from the top of Capitol Hill if necessary, is how incredibly transparent this move is in an attempt to force through the Auto Bailout.  What this should confirm is the need for bankruptcy and reorganization for the distressed automakers, Chrysler chief among them.

Chrysler is obviously reeling from the credit crisis and fears of deflation.  Why would a consumer suffer through the frustrating and often fruitless process of securing a loan in current market conditions when the possibility of cheaper prices in the future exist?  What the heads of Detroit aren’t admitting is Chrysler was suffering mightily prior to the fall, dating back to the 70’s, when number crunchers deemed their existing pension and health care plans insolvent for the future.  The guarantees the company made simply would not hold up over time; both the company and management knew it, however, both preferred to go ostrich style.  The current business model simply does not hold up.  Declare bankruptcy and reorganize, a bailout simply delays the inevitable.  Seriously, does anybody even drive a Chrysler?  What is the most popular model?

What is most jarring are rumors from GM that idiot Wagoner wants to close the only ace left up GM’s sleeve: The Chevy Volt.  Word is GM is considering delaying the plant that makes the engine for the Volt, the electric car much of the Detroit future hinges upon.  GM is telling America they refuse to make a product that will both sell and be a standard bearer for ecological vehicles throughout the world unless they get their bailout.  This is the equivalent of the fat kid storming off the playground because he doesn’t get picked on either team, only the fat kid takes the ball with him.  Maybe Wagoner should drop the albatross around GM’s neck, Hummer.  Wagoner personally sought out the Hummer deal despite evidence of rising oil costs and shifts in consumer behavior towards SUVs in the mid-90s.   Wagoner persevered, tying one more brick around GM in rising waters.  Now, instead of shedding excessive costs, Wagoner wants to shut down the only hope of future earning potential with the Volt.  Shortsighted, check.  Ignorant, check.  A blatant attempt to force Congress into a bailout, check.

Get these idiots out of Detroit, while there is still something to salvage.  Bankruptcy, no bailout.