JUST WHAT WE NEED! More spending, more debt, more federal government control!

When I say this radical-left-progressive-controlled dem party that runs Washington is fairly dangerous and scary, such sentiments ain't coming from your Rush Slimebaughs and Sean Hannitys of the world. I don't like conservatives. I don't like republicans. But the bottomless black hole that these far left dems want to plunge us down is a situation, which at least in my humble view, is the greatest danger to the America we know and love that I have ever seen during my lifetime. Scary Days.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091211/D9CHCOIG0.html

Former Mayor of New York City, Ed Koch. Hilarious Dude.

I attended an event today at which Koch was the keynote speaker. This dude is a WWII veteran, and so he is like 85 years old now. Today he spoke about some of his takes on the current political landscape. He is a very rambunctious man, a very proto-typical "New Yorker," which I've always admired from those folks. And he's very funny. Get this: He actually and intentionally dropped an F-Bomb at the end of his address, which most in attendance found to be utterly hilarious (it was the punch line to a story he told to close out his speech).

Anyway, the main reason I'm blogging about this is because of some very admirable statements that Koch made during his address. He flat out said, "I'm a liberal democrat," but it was also clear that he has a lot of criticism and problems with the current regime in power in Washington. He said that he's just as much about "common sense" as he is tied to his democrat roots. One of his best proclamations, in observing how Washington has gone very wrong these days, was to say, "If you don't have the money, then you can't spend it!" He also questioned why we are trying to nation-build in Afghanistan when our enemy is currently located in Pakistan -- his message there was basically, get the boys off the ground and out of Afghanistan, and "bomb the hell" out of the locations where we think Al Qaeda and Osama may be located in Pakistan.

But I won't ramble on too long here -- I was impressed by some of the independence of thought exhibited by Koch. He struck me as a guy very devoted to his party, but also not afraid to criticize it when it's going off the tracks. We could use a lot more of the same from dems and repubs in this country.

This Is Slimeball Stuff- The Senate May OR May Not (Depending on the Source) Be About to Pass a Health Care Reform Bill, But No One Knows What's In It

OK, so the Senate seems poised (again, possibly or possibly not, depending on the source -- SEE the below 2 links) to pass a massive health care bill which will certainly be one of the greatest expansions of the federal government in American history, and we are not allowed to know what's in it or even get a straight story on which senators oppose and favor it. PEOPLE: These congressional dems and repubs do NOT represent us. They are slime. Their votes can be purchased for a dime (i.e. a few million in pork in a Lousiana bog or a Missouri timber). None of them care what we think. They think we're just a big dumb uneducated populace. I have said before, that never in my several decades on the planet have I seen such unresponsiveness from the federal government (and that goes mainly to the slimeballs in charge, but ALSO to the slimeballs who inhabit the intolerant far right). These people just go around doing whatever the hell they feel like in Washington in terms of passing massive legislation and trying to impose all kinds of new levels of federal control and regulation upon our lives -- regardless of what any of us think about it. I've not seen anything like it before in my time. Scary Days.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9628e37a-e5cc-11de-b5d7-00144feab49a.html

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/30473.html

Here's a Man that Both Conservatives & Liberals Alike Love to Hate.

South Carolina U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. I view Graham as a fairly devout and longstanding republican. I, in contrast, am not, and I view Graham as distinctly to the right of me. But that being said, I much admire the independence of mind that he often exhibits. He is not a conservative, but more importantly, NOR is he some mealy-mouthed or wishy-washy "moderate" as the conservatives and liberals like to try to paint him. (See previously in this space my Politics 101 lesson: liberals and conservatives have very few plays in their playbook. One is to attack anyone who disagrees with them as being some kind of radical on the other extreme, and if that doesn't work or lacks credibility, then Plan B is always to say the person is a "mealy-mouthed, wishy-washy 'moderate'", but I digress, although I tie this in down below).

The far left and far right would find this very hard to believe, but it is actually possible to view issues independently and with an independent, informed mind and viewpoint, such that certain of one's opinions come out on the right, others on the left, and others somewhere in between. That doesn't make a person a "mealy mouth" or "wishy washy". Rather, it makes the person one who has an independence of mind and spirit that so many of our politicians could learn from (sorry Jeeves to end a sentence on a preposition).

So what made me blog about Graham tonight is that I saw him on the fox Greta show tonight, and he was there very directly going off on Harry Reid and Reid's whole escapade last night of saying "we have a deal on the public option and a new bill which is great for everyone, but you can't see it and I can't comment on it." Graham was also going off on how this new "deal" or new "bill" or whatever you want to call it doesn't get rid of the public option at all, but rather just attaches a "trigger" to it, which I'm fully confident will be framed by the dems in the language of the bill as a "trigger" that is almost certain to occur, meaning the "new" Reid bill is one designed to almost assuredly bring about a public option a few years down the line.

So the bottom line? It just struck me, as I watched Graham tonight (his views on Reid and the dems' health care "reform" desires are spot on, as far as I'm concerned) -- Here's a guy full of conviction and vinegar on this issue, pulling no punches when it comes to what the dems are trying to accomplish. And that's mealy-mouthed, as the far right freaks like Slimebaugh and Savage and Hannity like to accuse him of being? That's taking no real position? That's "riding a fence" as Draconem likes to accuse me of? That's wishy-washy? Puh-lease. No, it's none of those things.

Rather, such rhetoric is just the moronic, anti-intellectual Plan B (as described above) for which liberals and conservatives have no further play. They really don't know what to do with us devout Independents. And I love being a thorn in both of their sides, and hounding them to the outskirts of Hell, until the day they stick me in the ground (which, BTW, won't be for another 70 years at least). As I like to say, We're Everywhere, and We Ain't Going Away.

Senate Dems Tonight Seem to Me to Be Much In a State of Flux & Uncertainty.

You have them rejecting an anti-abortion-funding amendment to the senate bill, which some "blue dog" dems have insisted is a prerequisite to their vote (thereby very much threatening the dems' ability to pass anything here), and then on the same night you have this feeble little mouse known as Harry Reid scurrying out and proclaiming from on high that "We have a deal on the public option, but you can't see it yet, nor can I describe anything about it, but trust me, it's a good thing, and we have a deal!" What a PATHETIC group of individuals these congressional dems are, rivaled only by the congressional repubs. Not to mention, at least one prominent Senate dem is disputing that there's really any "deal" on the public option issue. But I digress. My bottom line observation on all this: Dems look confused, weak and chicken$hit, even more so than they typically do just in the normal course of things. Which also makes them extremely dangerous. We thought the danger of a "nuclear option," or some insane anti-democratic procedural maneuver being used, was past us? I'd say, think again. Because I think that may be the only way these crazy individuals will be able to get anything passed. God help us. Literally.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B807720091209?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true

Good to See the Dems Reverting Back to Their True Pathetic Colors.

All Summer Long (The Summer of Discontent, as it has become known to us Independents) these far left freaks were going around making all kinds of wild statements right and left about how ANYONE who disagreed with them on ANYTHING was, inter alia, a Nazi, a Mobster, a Racist, etc., etc., etc. Well, I do have to say, the radical leftist freaks have VERY much toned down their rhetoric in recent months -- almost like they all got together and resolved to do so. But just how long can a rat go without sniveling on some rotten cheese? Answer: Only so long. And so it was today that we see our Much Esteemed Senate Majority Leader from the State of Nevada, Harry Reid, comparing ANYONE who disagrees with Obama & The Dems' health care plan to Slave-Holders and Male Chauvinistic Pigs! Good to know that the country of freedom, independence, and debate is exhibiting so much tolerance for opposing viewpoints so as to make such a wonderful example for the world community! Put another way, Reid's a slime, just like so many other dems and members of the far left who react with third-grade insults and attack mode towards ANYONE who has the unmitigated gall to disagree with them on anything. And republicans, you can go F*** yourselves too.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/07/reid-compares-health-care-reform-foes-slavery-supporters/

Hubba, Hubba!

The Dignitaries are rollin' in and linin' up right and left in Denmark for this Copenhagen climate summit starting tomorrow (first link below). Following up on Saturday's blog post, I wonder how many of them are there for their freebie (second link below)?!? Hey, I'm not casting any stones (really though)! I just hope Bill Clinton is nowhere near this mess! Talk about something rotten in Denmark -- that would be IT!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/copenhagen-climate-change-confe/6736517/Copenhagen-climate-summit-1200-limos-140-private-planes-and-caviar-wedges.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jR91DgH-8QLeQeoRLk4qoGzDBF8Q

Forget ClimateGate. I Want to Head to Copenhagen for my Freebie.

"Copenhagen Prostitutes Offer Free Climate Summit Sex" (link below).

I've heard of doing your part to help the environment, but this is ridiculous.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,665182,00.html

I'm Glad I'm Not Tiger Woods Tonight.

As discussed last night in the sidebar: Normally, as a high-profile sports figure, Woods would only have to worry about the likes of ESPN or FoxSports or occasionally one of the hapless news networks covering his dirt. But now he's got TMZ all over his ass (link below). (Update: Just watched TMZ's daily program, and they are really all over his ass.) That is NOT a place I would ever want to be. If you want to roll in the celebrity world as defined by TMZ, then you get to deal with TMZ. Woods existed outside that world previously because he wasn't exactly a Hollywood player, but one weird car accident and a couple of revelations of extramarital affairs, from the one of the most recognized sports figures in the world, and TMZ is on the case. And let me be clear on TMZ: I don't really like what they do, chasing around celebrities and making fun of them at the same time they make a living from them, BUT TMZ is the best I've seen in that world. And they are VERY well-sourced and connected in that domain. As discussed previously in this space, when they were the first to report Jacko's death as fact, which no other media outlet could do until over 45 minutes later (in the Internet Age for crying out loud!), TMZ impressed the hell out of me. And as also expressed previously, I just wish TMZ would get out of the solely celebrity focus and branch out into hard news: They'd likely set the journalistic world on fire, which would be a very good thing these days.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/12/03/tiger-woods-uses-childhood-friend-as-cover/

MAN-GONE-O

Breaking news tonight: Mark Mangino forced out as head football coach of the University of Kansas. They call it a "settlement," meaning the Fatman is receiving something in the way of payment, but obviously he's be forced to hit the bricks due to the combination of 7 straight losses, including to bitter rival Missouri, to end the season, plus all of the recent allegations of physical and extreme verbal abuse of many of his players. As a Missouri fan who only wishes the worst for KU, it's hard to know how to feel about this. On one hand, Mangino has been better and more successful head coach than KU football has had in a long time, and he had a decent measure of success against MU (going 4-4). But maybe KU brings in a better coach than Mangino, which is the obvious potential downside of the current situation. To follow up on a comment I recently made in this space, I think I'll start a campaign for KU to hire one or more of the Bowden clan to run their program. That's definitely the way they should go, in my humble opinion.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1609250.html

These Two Goofs Have Actually Given Me an Idea.

Yeah, I think I may have to take one out of the playbook of Michaele & Tareq Salahis. I think I'm going to try to crash one of these Tea Parties as one of the few non-conservatives attending. And if any liberals or progressives show up as protesters, then I'll heckle them too. I roll like that.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,578998,00.html

Let the Firings Begin.

It's that time of the year. Bobby Bowden is about to "resign" at Florida State. Charlie Weis gets the axe at Notre Dame. Already the speculation begins as to where Weis will land next, e.g., would the Kansas City Chiefs be interested in him as an O-coordinator for next year (and would he be interested)? And how much longer will Mark Mangino last at Kansas? I don't see any way he sticks around. When there's substantial internet chatter about who will replace you (as there has been regarding Mangino), that sort of bodes poorly for your chances of keeping your job. And on that front, who will replace Mangino in the probable event that KU fires him pretty soon? Bowden's two boys are available. Heck, I guess technically even Bobby is about to be available. And the revolving door just keeps turning...

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hIkyCcDP1b7gzOxkqq0f18KaWCngD9CAK4880

So Apparently Obama Is (Finally) Set to Make an Afghanistan Decision & Speech This Week.

It's good to see that Obama has been able to actually block out some time to address Afghanistan after 10 months in office and 3 months after General McChrystal's request for substantial troop increases. I just want to be clear on my position before such speech takes place this week: Obama needs to either provide something substantially close to what the commanders in the field are requesting, or he needs to get us the hell out of that hellhole. There is no other option. I suspect, however, that we're going to get some inadvisable middle ground that maintains our involvement there but which comes woefully short of providing the commanders with what they think is necessary to turn the situation around over there. The same would be extremely disingenuous on the part of Obama, who ran a presidential campaign criticizing Bush (and rightfully so) for paying scant attention to Afghanistan and focusing too much on that stupid war in Iraq in which we should have never been involved in the first place. But we'll see -- I'm reserving judgment until I hear what Obama has to say. Maybe he'll surprise me for once.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/29/senators-give-obama-advice-on-afghanistan-strategy-speech/

Stick a Fork in 'Em. They're Done.

It was supposed to be a magical, historic season -- the best ever -- for the University of Kansas Jayhawk football team. Instead, it ends at 5-7, no bowl game, and a last second defeat at the hands of bitter, hated rival Missouri. And for all his efforts, KU Head Coach Mark Mangino is about to be ridden outta' Lawrence, Kansas on a rail (if they have one sturdy enough over there to carry him). It's a Beautiful Day.

http://www.kansascity.com/385/story/1598432.html

She's Been Recently Described as, "The Hottest & Most Dangerous Woman In America"! Check Her Out -- This is Tionna Smalls, Reality Star!

http://gawker.com/335454/lots-of-people-always-say-stuff-that-they-will-never-do-until-the-fire-is-under-their-ass

Another Spectacular Day for The Great American Media! Pat Yourselves on the Back!!!

I swear, American media, when you aren't incessantly slanting towards one political ideology or the other, you can't even get your facts correct. Fresh off the heels of the entire American media (both the left-slanting and right-slanting) prematurely reporting the death of the Ft. Hood (alleged) killer who then miraculously turned up alive, this afternoon we get widespread media reports about how Tiger Woods is in "serious condition" (i.e. potentially life-threatening injuries) following an early morning car accident. Turns out, he had some facial lacerations, nothing serious at all, and was released from the hospital this evening. Of course, all the talk going forward nationwide is going to be what the hell happened -- why was he out at driving at 2:30 a.m. -- and why was he driving over fire hydrants and trees. But that's not my focus nor my point tonight. Shame on you, Amercan media, yet again. I repeat: Not only do you have an utter inability to cover the news with any pretense of objectivity (which is what every REAL journalist constantly strives to accomplish) -- you idiots can't even get your most basic facts straight! VERY PATHETIC STUFF.

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=4693657

From One Turkey to a Couple of Others...

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

We Need a New War Tax! How Otherwise Are We Going To Pay for This War, Dems Ask!

Well, let's see, they might start by putting the kibosh on all of these ultra-liberal, massive expansions of the federal government such as the public option health care bill, and the Cap'n Trade, and the proposed 2nd Stimulus. And they might also have thought about making the first stimulus a serious stimulus, rather than one mostly laiden with pork and having no connection whatsoever to stimulating the economy. They might just start in those places. Is THIS the reason why Obama has waited 3 months to reach a decision on the military's plea for more troops in Afghanistan, i.e. has he been waiting until he gets some leftist dems to call for more new taxes right before he announces that he will send more troops there? Sorry, folks, but the level of insanity I see from this dem party, without one ounce of leadership or common sense, very much reminds me of the W Years. As I've often said, hardly change we can believe in, just more of the same.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29851.html

What's All This Then with the Silly Commotion Over Adam Lambert at the AMAs?

How many of these awards shows have I seen where a couple of ladies are grinding or kissing or doing all sort of sexually provocative things. Hardly an eyelash is batted. But when this Adam Lambert does the same thing with a bunch of male performers and kisses one of them, STOP EVERYTHING! CAN'T HAVE THAT! Please. Grow up, America. If you're going to rant and rave about this, then rant and rave every time the ladies engage in this kind of stuff on TV. Otherwise, you have no credibility with me. My own view: I'm not offended by any of it. I don't think any of this sort of stuff should be viewed by young kids, but as an adult, I have no problem with any of it. But if you do, I can respect that, but only if you're calling it out every time it happens, regardless of the sex of the folks involved.

Two Postscript Notes: (1) Look at the above pic. Lambert has some real blemishes. Teenage acne? (2) Love how ABCNews, which bends over backward to Obama and the far left whenever it can, makes a homophobic jackass of itself by banning Lambert from Good Morning America. Hey ABCNews: You're just doctrinaire and slanted. I'm much more open-minded than you, homophobic network.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091124/D9C64U9O0.html

I'm With Joe.

(Link regarding Lieberman's opposition to the Senate's Reid health care bill is set forth below). Like Lieberman, I would also like to see a health care reform bill, and I've even tried to tell my liberal and progressive friends that I'd even be open to a new federal government entitlement to help those who can't afford health insurance obtain it. But I draw a line in the sand (like Lieberman) at a public option, which I'm convinced is intended and will probably ultimately result in almost virtual control of the health insurance industry by the federal government (i.e., a single payer system or something very, very close to the same). I do not want that. I do not want to see the federal government in the health insurance business. The radical progressives very much want it, which says a lot right there. Am I open to a federal government entitlement that helps pay for health care coverage for those who can't afford it? Yes, as already stated above. But I cannot accept the federal government starting its own health insurance agency. Just can't do it. Even if I'm wrong about a public option eventually resulting in a virtual single payer system, I have other concerns: I trust our federal government to run something like a health insurance agency about as much I trust my ability to heave Mark Mangino for a world-record shot-put toss. Boot the public option, and a lot of my opposition evaporates. I hope Lieberman sticks to his guns in the same way.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125900412679261049.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

I light my torch & wave it for the New Moon...

...on Monday. It's a $140.7 million opening weekend in the U.S. for "The Twilight Saga: New Moon." People sure do love their vampires these days.

http://www.kansascity.com/stargazing/story/1586102.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMi8gnhQZzc

OK, So If I Needed to Ram an Important Procedural Vote Through a Legislative Body on the Road Towards Passage...

...of a massive monstrosity of an ultra-liberal bill that no one's read or digested, and containing a public option unpopular in the country and intended to ultimately arrive at a single payer system, and without any bipartisan support whatsoever, what might I do? Well, I might make sure that such vote occurs well into the evening hours of a Saturday night, when the media is largely asleep and most of the nation is focused upon the college football games. I might do that. But then again, that would make me a chickenshit, now wouldn't it? Or a democrat. Same difference, in my estimation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091122/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_overhaul

Talk About Three Faces That Only a Liberal or a Conservative Could Hate.

I thought this was a great pic, as it now sits atop Politico.com's main page. John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman. Conservatives hate these guys because they are not conservative. Liberals hate these guys because they are not liberal. Such is the way that conservatives and liberals roll. I generally like all three of these guys for consistently exhibiting an independence of thought that often eschews doctrinaire thinking and the desire to have one's viewpoints neatly and mindlessly align on a vertical totem pole of conservative or liberal ideology. For the record, I did think McCain was too old and tired to be running for president in 2008, and I did not vote him (nor Obama). At any rate, the linked story below explains an interesting rift that's developing between the three of them as McCain strongly criticizes the efforts of Graham and Lieberman in working on a cap and trade bill that might garner a measure of GOP support and make it through the Senate. By the way, since the Senate is set to vote on the Harry Reid health care monstrosity at 8 p.m. Saturday night, maybe the Senate dems could try to ram through the ole cap and trade at 9 p.m.? You know, sort of kill two pieces of America with one stone? Heck, maybe a little second stimulus at 10 p.m.? The trifecta!

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29747.html

Another Saturday Vote on a 2000-Page Monstrosity (This Time The Reid Senate Monster).

Meantime, no one (inside the beltway or otherwise) has had any chance to meaningfully digest anything close to the totality of this massive bill. Sorry, folks, as much as I distrust the repubs and the conservatives, the dems in control in Washington are truly a pathetic, scary bunch. I fear very much the havoc that their massive ultra-liberal, progressive, huge government ram-rodded pieces of legislation are going to perpetrate upon our economy, our future, not to mention the America that so many of us have grown to know and love during the course of our lives. Never before in my life, until gazing upon the radical progressive strain that now controls our federal government like an Iron Curtain, have I ever felt so hopeless as an American. It's getting to the point where neither your voice nor mine means much of anything. Regardless of popular dissent towards these massive pieces of non-sensical crap legislation, the dems really just don't care. They don't care that they are about to pass one of the most radical, sweeping pieces of legislation in American history without so much as any opposite party support (save one or two stragglers, possibly). The wisest of politicians I've noted during my lifetime (on both sides of the aisle) have always said that you don't pass radical, groundbreaking legislation like this without even so much as a significant minority of opposing party votes in your favor. The phrase I've coined in this space before: Scary Days. And unfortunately, they just get even scarier come Saturday night, I suspect. And for all of my radical progressive and garden variety liberal readers of this space who blissfully go about their lives without ever questioning their government now that the dems are in office: You frankly make me sick. Not one ounce of free thought in your mind -- You might as well just start wearing a T-Shirt in public proclaiming that "I am a Left-Wing Dittohead, I thinks not for myself." Scary Days.

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091119-717535.html