Dems Are Losing A Lot of Independents, But Do They Really Care?

The linked Politico.com report is entitled, "Dems alarmed as independents bolt," but if you read the story, many of the dems quoted are downplaying the trend and trying to spin it as not that big of a deal. But I wonder if that's what they really think behind the scenes? What I've consistently seen from dem powerbrokers in Washington is a desire to ram through massive pieces of legislation irregardless of popular support for the same, and so maybe dems as a whole truly don't give a rat's behind what the independents think or do. But at the end of the day, I think these trends are concerning to dems, even if they are hesitant to admit it publicly. After all, the Independents decide elections, and you would have to be a political fool to turn a complete blind's eye towards them.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29646.html

The Fat Man's In One Big Fat Pickle, And I'm Not Referring to Cheeseburgers or Fatback Over Here.

University of Kansas head football coach Mark Mangino faces allegations of improper verbal and physical abuse of current and former players (first link below). As I commented elsewhere (second link below), I just really hope there was no flatulence involved.

http://www.kansascity.com/666/story/1575397.html
http://www.tigerboard.com/boards/missouri-tigers.php?message=7082449

Hillary & Sarah on an Independent Ticket in 2012? The thought occurred to me tonight out of the blue. Don't even know what to make of it.

I was watching Hillary blathering on today about she'd like to sit down with Palin (whom she's never personally met) for coffee. Couple that with the generally complimentary things that Palin has always had to say about Clinton. How could such a marriage of strange bedfellows every possibly happen, you ask? Well, first of all, it probably never would. But say Hillary saw an opportunity in 2012 to take on a low popularity Obama, running on a theme of being an alternative to the unpopular and radical "progressive" far left strain that has basically taken over the dem party. Not that I think Hillary has too huge of a problem with the "progressives," but make no mistake that she is not one of them (NOR is she what one would describe as a "moderate"), and she is a consummate politician, and I could conceivably see her going Independent against the radical far left IF conditions completely aligned for such an event. And I'm telling you folks, a lot of strange political winds are blowing throughout the country, unseen at any point in my life, so I would never say that Hillary going Independent is an impossibility (although I acknowledge that it's an improbability). To reiterate, Hillary is no progressive, but she's no centrist either -- she's basically a garden variety liberal, although those folks scare me much, much less than the "progressives".

So how does Palin fit into this equation? Different dynamic there entirely. Palin would never become an "alternative" to the repubs' far right conservative base because that's what she is, a far right conservative. BUT I could see her running as an Independent against the republican party given that there is a huge old-money-style as well as elitist component to the far right that really dislikes Palin because she wasn't educated in the Ivy League, and she dares to be a former mayor of a town of 9,000 (the radical "progressives" hate that about her too, by the way). I could conceivably see her finally getting so fed up with the traditional repub powerbrokers that she would turn and run as an Independent.

So, then, how would Hillary and Sarah, two 1000-miles apart politicians, ever possibly link up? Only one possible way: Both of their insatiable desires to WIN higher elected office, that's how. About 40% of this country is now Independent, and if you give those folks (my people) the option of such a completely unprecedented ticket as that which Hillary-Sarah would offer, you would probably get most of their votes plus a ton of non-liberal dems and non-conservative repubs at the same time. In other words, an Independent ticket could actually win the presidency. An obvious conundrum: Who would be at the top of the ticket? Well, they would have to hash that out, but frankly I'd assume Hillary since she was ever so close to winning the dem nomination last year over Obama, but came up just short. In contrast, Palin has obviously never run for pres before.

So am I really advocating such a ticket? I'm not so sure. It was more just a very strange thought that occurred to me tonight. In this strange political climate, nothing would surprise me, and I bet we will be seeing all kinds of weird things like this in the months and years to come. But as for me: Hillary has always been too far left for me to consider voting for, and Palin likewise too far right. But the two of them together on one ticket? Seems intriguing, fascinating, and at least something that I would consider.

The Mainstreaming of Palin? This Has Gotta Be Chappin' the Far Left's Behind!

And for that, I have to laugh tonight. She coming out with a book, she's on Oprah, she's doing photo ops with Barbara Walters, she has Hillary Clinton saying that she'd love to meet Palin. The Radical Progressives must be a stewin' tonight (!) and pondering their next hateful false rumor to concoct and spread about Palin.

For the record, my views on Palin have been made very clear in this space over time. She's a devout right-winger, I'm not, and I doubt that I could ever vote her, especially given my additional viewpoint that she's not exactly what I view to be presidential material -- sorry, but she's a little loopy (just a personal observation completely divorced from her viewpoints and ideology). And I've always contended that these characteristics make her virtually unelectable. But, I will say this about her: She seems to be a politician who has very much made a career of people underestimating her, and I'd be the first to admit that I could be underestimating her too.

Further, I'm don't mean to be all doom & gloom when it comes to Palin. Just because she may not be quite my cup of tea doesn't mean that I personally dislike her, because I don't. I respect a lot that she's originally from a ton of 9000, as I am, and I still recall how that fact played a huge role in me having a "moment of clarity" in 2008 concerning precisely what it was that Obama and his people were all about (the day McCain selected Palin, the first words in response from the Obama campaign were that McCain "has seen fit to choose a former mayor of a town of 9000 as his vice presidential running mate" -- that's Classic Liberal Elitism, and it only set in concrete for me the true colors of an Obama who was trying to convince us all that he was some kind of "moderate" -- But I digress).

The far left HATES Sarah Palin, mostly I believe because she does not act like she's supposed to act in the far left's eyes. She's an attractive, self-made woman, and so she's not supposed to be anything other than a liberal, at least in the slanted estimation of the far left. It's sort of Clarence Thomas-syndrome at work in my view. But to tie this off, Palin continues to be a fascinating political figure (even if I still ultimately think she's not a serious contender to ever be president), and despite my disagreement and misgivings with a lot of her ideology and rhetoric, I will still continue to defend the smalltown gal every time the radical left fabricates another one of their slimey rumors or false reports about Palin, because that kind of crap always rub me the wrong way. And in the meantime, we'll just keep watching the intriguing and ongoing political saga of one Sarah Palin.

Bow Wow Wow!

Drudge headlines tonight with the "story" that "Obama Bows to Japanese Emperor"!!! Anyone recall when NBC news anchor Brian Williams took a bow before Obama (second pic above)? So what's good for the goose is good for the gander, I suppose? BTW, while I don't think it's the best journalistic practice for a newsperson to ever take a bow before a politician (or anyone else for that matter), I have to say that I couldn't give a rat's behind about Obama's bow today. Who cares? You know, folks, I can't even imagine the daily mentally tortured existence that it must take to inhabit the far right or far left and to concern oneself with this type of silliness. Life's too short.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/11/obama-emperor-akihito-japan.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUwnOsTm96A

The Idiot Speaks!

He's warning us about federal government power and control getting too big! Stop the presses! This from the same fool who lied to us about the pretense to invade a sovereign country (Iraq) that he knew had no WMD's, and a goof who embraced big government spending like it was going out of style. Here's a question for all of you readers: What exactly did we do to deserve idiots like Bush as our president, backed with (the old phrase for 45 RPM Record B-Sides -- "time to play B-sides", as BOC so famously said, but I digress) Obama as the successor (the most radical in either direction president in American history). What did we do to deserve such a$$-clowns? What did we do? It's absolutely pathetic. Well, at least I never voted for either one of their sorry a$$es. It will be a cold day in hell before I ever vote for another dem or repub anytime soon. I think for myself, I am Independent, I eschew the doctrinaire thinking of these two extremist BS parties. They don't represent me. And they don't represent you. Join the Rager Revolution!

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/12/bush-warns-threats-freedom-economic-growth/

Top Right-Wing Media Stories Tonight: TX Gov Cries Socialism and Crying Mom Tells Obama to Make a Decision on Afghanistan.

E.g., the current http://drudgereport.com/. (By the way, you're damn right he needs to make an Afghanistan decision already, but I digress). Are these really the top 2 headlines of any news that's out there right now? Reminds of the W years, when the left-wing media on any given day would similarly trumpet a comparison of W and the repubs to Nazis and following grieving mom Cindy Sheehan wherever she went (BTW, it's hilarious and so pathetic and hypocritical how the left-wingers no longer care about Sheehan and her protests now that a dem is president). Who out there is duped by this constant barrage of right-wing and left-wing media and politician propaganda? This stuff is purely tabloid, and not real news that has any effect on the lives of your or your loved ones. If you actually pay any mind to all of these kinds of silliness, then you need to open your eyes and your minds. Do not let this national media (either side) dictate to you what's important. Because these media outlets are basically just propoganda machines for the dem and repub parties. Think for yourself, folks!

Top 10 Actual Threats & Sophomoric Insults That Radical Progressives Are Hurling Towards Any Dem Who Voted Against the Pelosi Health Care Bill...

...As extracted from the below-linked Politico.com story:

10. The dems who voted against this bill lack "self-confidence."

9. "This is the last straw with you."

8. "You're deceptive; You're a slap in the face."

7. They "emanate weakness."

6. They are "weak sauce."

5. "You're a traitor."

4. We're announcing ad campaigns to "target" you now in your district.

3. Give us back the money we previously donated to you.

2. "There will be a price extracted from you" / They will "pay a real price if they continue to take this position."

1. We will "beat them up in their district."

Such tolerance of opposing viewpoints! The real "big tent" party! Doesn't it make you want to run right out there and join the dems? Not. (And yes, for the record, the repubs are little different in this regard).

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29385.html

It Seems Pretty Clear How the Radical Progressive Dems Are Going to Try to Ram Their Public Option Health Care Bill Right Down Our Throats.

In the days to come, look for an allegedly "moderate" bill to come out of Senate majority leader Harry Reid and his minions -- a bill with no public option or a somewhat watered down one (perhaps with state opt-out rights or a "trigger"), and a bill which will be able to get 60 votes in the Senate. Then, such bill will go to conference committee, where dems will "merge" it with the House's massive Pelosi bill and its much more "robust" public option. Look for such "merger" to be little more than making the Senate-passed Reid bill look much more like the Pelosi bill, i.e. taking the Reid bill and driving it very far to the left. Once that process is complete, as best as I can tell, the only vote that would be needed to pass the "merged" bill in the Senate would be a vote that only requires 50 or 51 votes -- and not 60. I don't know folks, but I think we can see this one coming up Main Street from these sneaks. You had to know, with all of the immense power that the radical progressives now wield in Washington, Congress and all across the spectrum of our federal government, that they would probably find a way to ram-rod their massive ultra-liberal health care legislation through Congress. I still hope they fail in this endeavor, because most Americans do not want this. We want reform and change to the health insurance system, but we do not want this. That is, most of us do not want health care legislation that is designed to (and will likely ultimately result in) total federal government control of the health insurance industry. What a nightmare.

Good to Hear Obama Referring to Opponents of His Health Care Plan as "Extremists." Very Presidential.

(Link below)...And entirely consistent with the kinds of disrespectful statements (Nazis, right-wing extremists, brownshirts, etc.) we heard all summer long from congressional dems, who hurled the same at anyone that had the audacity to disagree with them on the health care reform issue. Nevermind that plenty of the dissenters were Independents, non-conservative repubs, and non-liberal dems. Yep, that's the world view of the far leftist "progressives" who control the dem party: Agree with every single one of their radical views or else it's you that's the extremist. Yawn. And, of course, the conservatives are little different when it comes to anyone who has the nerve to disagree with them on any issue. As I've said many times in this space, we are controlled by two little tent parties who do not represent me nor the huge swath of this country that is neither "progressive" nor "conservative." Good to see today that our illustrious president is no different, not that I have ever been under any illusions.

http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/07/lawmakers-detail-obamas-pitch/

On a Dark Day On Which It Appears that House Dems Will Ram-Rod a Massive, Unpopular and Unread Public Option Health Care Bill Right Down Our Throats..

...(subject obviously to Senate passage) (not to mention a day that saw a truly pathetic and embarrassing performance by my University of Missouri football team against the mighty Baylor Bears), I find that just trying to get back to a few of the simple pleasures can help one put a few things in perspective. And so it was tonight that I was motivated to road-trip it the closest White Castle restaurant to the Kansas City metro area. That would be the one in Wentzville, Missouri, about three hours east of Kansas City (although I was driving from Columbia, not KC). You'll find that very few of life's worries and concerns cannot be placed on a temporary backburner when one has a nice, greasy White Castle Crave Case (30 sliders with cheese) available to shove into one's piehole. 30 Pack of Stones, 30 Pack of Sliders. What health care bill, by the way? And what's a Baylor?

(Postscript: I would generally not condone consuming White Castles, and it does go against my habitual diet -- But every now and then, especially on a dirty, rotten day like this one: It's OK.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091107/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul

Pssssst: They're About to Ram a Health Care Bill With a Public Option Through the House.

While the attention of the media and much of the nation has been focused on killers in Texas and Florida, House dems are fairly quietly working towards a vote on Pelosi's 2000-page monster of a health care bill, which includes the public option. Looks like the dems are going to try to ram it through the house, with barely enough votes for passage, sometime this weekend (although there is some talk a vote might slip until early next week). Further, it looks like the monster will be going through changes, additions and deletions right up until the time they vote on it this weekend, meaning that none of us ever get to see the final bill before it's voted on (obviously, Pelosi has broken her 72-hour pledge, at least as I understood that pledge). Oh well, they do still have to try to ram-rod something through the Senate too, and that may be a little tougher. Regardless, as I've said before, these are Scary Days. I'm convinced that any bill with a public option will eventually result in a single payer system, i.e. total government control of the health insurance field. If the thought of that does not scare the hell out of you, then there's little that I can do to help you.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a5gDY7q4FTgc

What's Happened to American Journalism?

...When it's not incessantly slanted to one political side or the other in an effort at pure political advocacy, then it's just plain wrong on the facts that it reports. For hours today, all of the media, including Fox News (which has sort of become a new catchphrase of mine), reported that the suspect in the Fort Hood massacre was dead. Turns out, as revealed in the military's presser a few hours ago, that the reports of said suspect's demise were greatly exaggerated. Imagine that. WTF American media? I repeat: WTF? And I don't really care if your source for the suspect's death was the military itself (which it probably was) -- that's a cop out. Where was your confirmation? In addition, am I such a stickler so as to expect that you would make damn sure that a person has actually kicked the bucket before you report it as fact, regardless of what the military told you? This is a pathetic day for American journalism. But any more, aren't they all?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-11-05-Fort-Hood_N.htm

"We Won Last Night!," Crows a Gleeful Nancy Pelosi Today. Baghdad Bob, Meet San Fran Nan!

You may recall Baghdad Bob (the former Iraqi information minister) from the 2003 invasion of Iraq. As American troops overran Baghdad, ole Bob was on television making statements such as, "I say to you, categorically, that there are no American troops in the Baghdad." Flash forward to today, when the American version of out-of-touch Bob -- San Fran Nan -- actually claimed victory for the dems from last night's election results. As Bill Cosby would say, "R-I-G-H-T!" The dems won last night. And I bare a striking resemblance to Brad Pitt. In addition to Baghdad Bob, San Fran Nan also reminds me today of that old Tony Montana line from Scarface: "I always tell the truth, even when I lie." I mean, it's one thing to spin -- all politicians do so. But to take what actually occurred, and then simply claim that the opposite is what really occurred -- That smacks of a person who is simply delusional or a person so arrogant with power that she feels as if she can get away with saying anything. Or, in the case of San Fran Nan, probably a lot of both. And this person is second in the line of presidential succession? Good grief.

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1109/Pelosi_dismisses_impact_of_New_Jersey_Virginia.html

How Long Before Far Leftist Bruce Springsteen Denounces New GOP Gov. Christie's Playing of "Born to Run" Right Before Christie's Acceptance Speech?

I'd put the over/under on that one at about an hour. But I'm just trying to grab your attention, because regardless of The Boss' political views, he's an American rock and pop music icon, and the music is all that really matters. But I digress.

As for tonight's election results: As I discussed in the last few days in this space, while I think it's good that a few of the radically controlled dems are losing tonight, you won't find me celebrating republican victories. The repubs are the party who gave us a Neo-Con fringe ruling the very top of our federal government, which needlessly cost us numerous young American lives taking over a sovereign country, which posed little threat to us, on the false pretense of WMD's (which I remain convinced that "W" knew full well were in all likelihood not present in Iraq). But that aside, my post from the past few days basically predicted a repub clean sweep tonight, and it appears that the "conservative party" guy Hoffman in the New York congressional race will lose to the dem Owens. This is somewhat surprising, given that Hoffman was viewed as a more probable win for repubs than Christie in New Jersey.

The reason I mention the New York race is because I view that result as somewhat of a positive, even if it means another leftist dem in Congress. That's because this was a race in which national right-wing big wigs such as Palin, Hannity, Pawlenty, etc., tried to influence the race by endorsing the "conservative party" candidate and thereby effectively forcing the GOP candidate Scozzafava out of the race. I concede that Scozzafava was basically a liberal, not a moderate or centrist in any sense of the word, and probably had no business calling herself a republican. But regardless, I think it's a real positive that the far-right conservatives can try their best to influence a local election and yet come up empty. That makes me laugh. As do the significant dem losses tonight in New Jersey and Virgina. Overall, a pretty good night for an Independent!

Perhaps This Was the Reason for ABC's Rumored Hesitancy to Air the Remake of the "V" Series...

...Politics? As discussed previously in this space (first link below), even stranger than ABC's decision to greenlight the remake of a mediocre 1980's sci-fi series was the reported rumor that ABC was experiencing hesitancy to even put the show on the air despite the show already having been produced. (BTW, the remade "V" debuts tonight on ABC at 7 p.m. central time -- an ABC picture of some of the characters is above). The rumor at that time was that such hesitancy pertained to some silliness about extraterrestrial "aliens" being the focus of the series (which really made no sense). Well, here's perhaps a different (and much less non-sensical) explanation for ABC's alleged hesitancy: The Chicago Tribune today reviews the upcoming series (apparently having been given a sneak peek) and reports that many of the series' themes and events can be interpreted as commentary negative to the so-called "Obamamania" wave of the past year (see second link below).

Regardless, ABC is airing the series (although did it really have any choice financially since the thing had already been produced?), and so I suppose the rumored "hesitancy" is largely a moot issue. At any rate, the Tribune review indicates that the new series is very well made, even if you happen to dislike the supposed anti-"Obamamania" commentary. Based on that positive review, I hope to have a chance to see it.

http://independentrage.blogspot.com/2009/10/weird-stuff-from-tv-network-abc.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-tc-tvcolumn-v-1102-1103nov03,0,7062976.story

Looks Like a Probable Clean Sweep for the Elephants Tomorrow in the Gubernatorial and Congressional Races. But You Won't See Me Celebrating.

The question that will be the subject of all the media and politician spin tomorrow night and thereafter will be whether these likely results are a "referendum on Obama." Well, I say who gives a rat's behind. Yes, they are a referendum on Obama & The Dems at this moment, but hardly so with respect to 2010 or beyond given how quickly these things change. I see a GOP party right now that is ever-increasingly controlled by its far-right conservative extreme, with an ever-diminishing place for anyone in the party who is not also a right-wing conservative. The dem party is little different, with little place for anyone who is not a "progressive" or, at the bare minimum, a liberal. Just another election, same old tired story: Two out-of-touch, extreme-controlled parties who fail in any way to represent a huge swath of this country. It seems clear that the right-wingers will be partying tomorrow night, while the leftist dems will be doing their best to spin a nice face on to a negative story. Meantime, so many of us across the country will just be yawning.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125720723841924171.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

"We **** Everything That Moves!!!"

Hillary Clinton this weekend actually made a public comment that "We tax everything that moves and doesn't move" (first link below). Immediately, I was reminded of the famous Dennis Hopper line from the movie Blue Velvet, although he was dropping an F-bomb in place of the word "tax" (see hilarious video, second link below, which also includes his classic line, "Heineken, **** that **** -- Pabst Blue Ribbon!!!"). Well anyway, I saw Clinton's line and I had to blog about it, but truth be told: (1) When she says "we," she appears to be referring to the United States in general, rather than her party; and (2) I think she's basically telling the truth -- here in the U.S., we do tax just about everything that moves and doesn't move, which is very unfortunate. Obviously, there has to be tax revenue for our government entities to stay in business, but I think I'd like to see those taxes limited in the number of different things that are taxed. Put another way, if local, state or federal government legitimately need to raise taxes in a particular instance (and sometimes it is legitimate, although very often not), then raise an existing type of tax (income is always there and available) and stop trying to find new things to tax all the time. And a final note: Do check out the video contained on the second (youtube) link below: I found it tonight in putting together this blog post, and it is very funny!

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/print.asp?page=2009%5C10%5C30%5Cstory_30-10-2009_pg1_1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxsIGtju1So&feature=PlayList&p=81C2CA61EA068F36&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=33

This Seems Completely Out of the Blue on a Saturday Morning.

New York GOP congressional candidate Dede Scozzafava (say that name 10 times quickly) has suddenly suspended her campaign this morning, leaving only "conservative party" candidate Doug Hoffman and dem guy Owens in the race. I'm intrigued by what might be going on behind the scenes here. Scozzafava is a fairly liberal republican, not merely a moderate from what I've read (frankly, I've kind of been wondering why she's not a democrat in the first place). Anyway, Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity and a whole host of other deranged right-wingers have been focusing on this New York race and have been endorsing the third-party conservative candidate Hoffman over the GOP candidate Scozzafava. I would assume that all that pressure from the far right finally got to Scozzafava, but who knows. BTW, I often rail on dems and repubs in this space for having no place in their parties for centrists. However, I've remained silent on Scozzafava because, as noted above, I really don't think she's much of a centrist -- instead, she appears to be fairly liberal and probably should be a democrat to begin with (sorry Jeeves to end a sentence on a preposition).

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/31/republican-scozzafava-suspends-new-york-congressional-campaign/

The White House Hypocrisy Train Rolls On! If You're a Media Outlet That Disagrees With Us, We Attack! But If You're With Us, WELCOME ABOARD!

(See link below). Sorry, this president and administration are an absolute embarrassment, much like the creature known as W that preceded him (errrrrr, that he "inherited"). Folks, Obama is just another politician. No more, no less. But what makes him so concerning to me is that he's the most radical (in either direction) president in the history of our country. Hardly change "we can believe in." Rather change we should absolutely FEAR, as I do. I have no desire to live in a European-model Huge Government quasi-socialist state. Nor do I want to live in a country where my government works to undermine my unfettered 1st Amendment rights. But yet, those seem to be callings that Obama is all about! He & The Dems scare the hell out of me. And this is an Independent talking -- an Independent who eschews the far right conservatives and republicans on a daily basis just as much as I eschew the dems. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE REPRESENT MAINTREAM AMERICA? Good God. In all my years, there's never been a time period that I would describe as Scary Days. Until now.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28955.html

Just In Time For Halloween! The 2000 Page Monster.

Pelosi & House Dems reveal their version of the health care bill today, although apparently it won't be available for any of us to look at until early next week (why is that?). Although, if you try to read it next week, be prepared to be reading (at a minimum) for days, if not weeks, and even then you are likely to understand very little of it. And since Pelosi intends to have the House debate begin on this thing next week, and to ram it through to a vote before November 11, I'm left to wonder exactly the extent of the wool that the dems are trying to pull over our eyes here. Politico.com has the following sample of some of the wonderfully crafted language of the Pelosi bill -- and this is just one sentence:

“(a) Outpatient Hospitals – (1) In General – Section 1833(t)(3)(C)(iv) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395(t)(3)(C)(iv)) is amended – (A) in the first sentence – (i) by inserting “(which is subject to the productivity adjustment described in subclause (II) of such section)” after “1886(b)(3)(B)(iii); and (ii) by inserting “(but not below 0)” after “reduced”; and (B) in the second sentence, by inserting “and which is subject, beginning with 2010 to the productivity adjustment described in section 1886(b)(3)(B)(iii)(II)”.

By the way, I took just a few minutes today to look up the page lengths on a few other pieces of important law and legislation from the past and present, which really does help to put into perspective just how completely absurd a 2000-page health care bill really is (unless the goal is to hide a lot of the things included within the bill):

-The Declaration of Independence: 3 Pages.

-The U.S. Constitution, as ratified in 1789: 23 Pages.

-Title 28 to the U.S. Code, which includes 100's of individual statutes governing the federal judicial branch and the federal court system: Approximately 600 pages.

-The first 155 Chapters of Missouri's statutory code, which includes 100's if not 1000's of individual statutes on myriad different topics and comprises approximately one-fourth of Missouri's entire statutory code: Approximately 1500 pages.

I can't imagine sitting down and fully digesting and understanding all of Title 28 in less than a month, and it would probably take longer. And the first 155 Chapters of the Missouri statutes? Months. But these house members are going to understand the 2000-page monster within the next 10 days or so? One word: Please.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28904.html

Jon Gosselin Poised to Date The Octomom? You Gotta Be Kiddin' Me!

This is one of those celebrity (if you want to call these two that) stories that's so over the top, it actually cracks this side of the blog. Anyway, that's the new report from In Touch Weekly (see KC Star link below). Apparently Jon & The Octomom would date as a part of a new reality series (what else?), with the show's pilot episode called, "Jon - Kate = Jon + Octomom" (no, this is not April 1).

But alas, a potential fly in the ointment: Jon is reportedly a bit "creeped out" about dating The Octomom -- not by The Octomom herself, mind you -- but rather by the possibility that if they hit it off and decide to tie the knot, he would suddenly have 22 kids. Well, yeah, I can see where that might be a bit off-putting to some dudes. But it would make for some wonderful holiday gatherings. For example, they could start a tradition of an annual Thanksgiving football game between the kids since they'd have enough to field two complete teams. Jon & The Octomom could coach one team, and Kate Gosselin the other. Stick it on TLC, bring in a professional broadcast team, hire a few celebrity refs -- and instant ratings, baby! (And BTW, Kids: Never smoke cigarettes.)

http://www.kansascity.com/stargazing/story/1535428.html

I Always Thought Calling Someone a "Whore" Was Inappropriate Regardless of What You Meant By It. Guess That's Just My Naivete Shining Through?

You have to laugh at left-wing lunatic Alan Grayson (democratic congressman from Florida). I don't think I've bothered to dignify any of this goof's insane rhetoric previously in this space because (1) it's so utterly mindless, (2) he's a publicity hound, and (3) he's even very small potatoes at that. But his latest escapade is pretty amusing. He calls a Federal Reserve official a "K Street Whore" and tries to defend the statement by dispatching a spokesperson to talk to the media. The spokesperson comes armed with a dictionary, basically saying (and yes, I'm paraphrasing and taking a certain poetic license):

"See it's right here in the American Heritage Dictionary, right there under 'whore.' See, under 'whore,' Definition # 2? It says, 'a person considered as having compromised principles for personal gain.' There you have it! The good congressman didn't mean to call Robertson a street-walker. He didn't mean to impugn her character. This wasn't meant as a personal attack. He merely meant that she's a whore in the sense that she has no dignity, principles or conviction whatsoever after she flushed all of that away for her own personal benefit and success. There's nothing more to it than that. Alan should now be exonerated. Just a big misunderstanding. You folks have a good one!"

So. Let me get this straight: As long as you didn't intend to literally refer to someone as a lady of the night, it's perfectly OK to call her a "whore" if what you really meant is that she's an unprincipled fink? A distinction without much of any real difference, perhaps?

And, BTW, what's next out of Grayson? A homophobic F-bomb explained away with the British slang for cigarette? A "jackass" blast backed only with the intention of calling someone "a large eared mammal known for its stubbornness"? A "brown shirt" characterization grounded in the aim of complimenting someone on their attire? Keep that dictionary handy, I guess!

Finally, and just to clarify for the record, when I call Grayson a loon, I don't mean that he's a water fowl native to certain parts of the Northern Hemisphere. And when I call him a goof, I don't mean that he's a computer game error. Nope. Only Definition #1's are good enough for this guy.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28786.html

So If Harry Reid's Health Care Bill Passing Committee with an "Opt Out" Provision Is Really Such a "Bombshell," Why Can't We Read It?

Well, simple, of course: Because it would then be exposed to the ridicule and great marketplace of ideas that has always been the hallmark of our great country, and therefore the far left-controlled dems absolutely eschew such openness. I've said before, folks, these are dangerous times for the country as we know it, and we're seeing more of that play out today. But regardless, it would appear that there's a good chance that the "opt out" is pure subterfuge, anyway, reading between the lines. Bob Beckel (a well-connected liberal whom I respect and whom I think is usually honest in his proclamations) on FoxNews tonight indicated that deals have been struck in far back rooms of congress, and he predicted that the way this will go down is that the "opt out" will be effectively eliminated by a last-minute amendment from (allegedly, although I think it's pretty accurate) left-wing GOP senator Snowe that will inject a so-called "trigger" into the final bill that the senate will pass -- all apparently in an effort to confuse the populace even more. That is, we will be struggling to figure out what the "opt out" means in the first place without being able to read it, and then suddenly we'll get a last-minute bait-and-switch into a "trigger" (which likewise we'll never be allowed to read) that will pass the senate based on back-room deals made, then only to be rubber-stamped into law, in all likelihood, by the radical-left-controlled house . It's a chain of events that wouldn't surprise me at all. These leftists control everything in our federal government, folks -- if you really ever thought they wouldn't ram something through, then you were probably a bit naive.