Buzzards of a feather flock together

Normally I'm one who loathes government regulation. But the recent news about both Goldman-Sachs and GM can bring one's blood to boil of the outright chicanery a fraud being perpetrated these days.

First there's Goldman-Sachs. A couple of real financial "Scuz-Balls" (Which is a term used by pundits yesterday on Meet the Press) names Fabrice Tourre aka "Fabulous Fab" and hedge fund gangster John Paulson decided to place a bet a couple of years ago that the housing bubble would burst. Essentially they would make money if the market went down, which they did. Paulson walked away with a a Billion Dollars.

Sadly, that Billion came from folks who bet the housing market would continue to grow. Tourre said it would.

There's something just wrong about that sort of thing. It's immoral and un-ethical and it's business as usual for Goldman-Sachs.

Then comes GM. Have you seen the ad where their CO struts down the line bragging about GM paid their loans back to the Federal Gov't aka You and Me "Five years in advance with interest?"

Wow, how cool. What he didn't say is GM took the money from another pool of money we "lent" GM to pay off the other loans. Robbing Peter to pay Peter.

Here's the true disgrace. The same politicos calling for reform took money from Goldman Sachs for their campaigns. Harry Reid and John McCain to name just a few.

The fox is guarding the hen house and the fox is on the Goldman-Sachs payroll.

I normally don't espouse the death penalty but I think we could take a page from the Chinese legal system. The shenanigans being perpetrated by the likes of Goldman-Sachs just aren't accepted. So after a fair trail in a Chinese court, these folks are taken out back and shot. And the government bills the families for the bullets.

Just the thing to catch the attention of the Wall Street Robber Barons.

This of course won't happen. So the executives at Goldman live the high life and we pay for it.

Tea anyone?

Pew Poll Shows Big Distrust in Big Government.

President Clinton is the latest politico to join the bad-mouthing of the Tea Party Movement, hinting ever-so slightly that folks like me are akin to OK Bomber Timothy McVeigh. This is the Democrat's policy, to bad-mouth, to mis-portray and cast us as a bunch of dangerous rabble.

On the other hand, the GOP is essentially pandering to us. "Mainstream" media also is working hard to mis-portray folks who simply want responsible and accountable government. They report, they decide. But we ain't buying.

All should read this poll by Pew Research. 78% of Americans don't trust government. 4/5 of the population far exceeds Tea Partiers, so one can safely say a significant number of Democrats and Republicans have had enough as well. We're mad as hell but protest politely.

Who are these people? Look around you at work, on your street, in the grocery store or your fellow drivers headed to work. See any wild-eyed radicals? I didn't think so.

Washington faces an important choice. Listen or pack your bags.

Tea anyone?

One Nation Under God? Not Quite.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb decided that the National Day of Prayer mandated by federal law since 1952, is unconstitutional because it amounts to a government call for religious action.

What an appropriate name for her. Crabb.

Her dis-Honor wrote in her opinion, "It is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual's decision whether and when to pray."

What hooey, and proof positive how our government is slowly, but absolutely moving us towards a God-less Socialist Government.

This is about the whole MYTH of "Separation of Church and State" which doesn't exist anywhere, in our Constitution or any law, any where. That whole concept was simply raised in a letter by one of the founding fathers.

Note to Judge Crabb. If you think we're going to let you take God away from us, well, you are in for the legal fight of your life. We not only have the law on our side, we have God on our side.

How do you feel about Judge Crabb's Decision?

Let he know how you feel. Here's her contact information:

Send Feedback
United States District Court
Western District of Wisconsin
120 North Henry Street, Room 320
P.O. Box 432
Madison, WI 53701-0432
(608)264-5156
fax: (608)264-5925

Tea (and God) anyone?

McInnis and Maes: What are they hiding?

A couple of Republican Candidates for office in Colorado are refusing to release their tax returns. In a Denver Post Story Gubnatorial Candidate Scott McInnis wants to keep his returns private, as does GOP Candidate Dan Maes.

By contrast, Democratic Candidate and Denver Mayor, John Hickenlooper says he'll release returns for the past 10 years.

Too often people get elected, then later we find out about 'Sweetheart" deals like Senator Chris Dodd (D) CT got from Countrywide. A touchy issue as Dodd chairs the Senate Banking Committee which oversees such things. Dodd claims he didn't know about the deal, yet refuses to share the mortgage documents. Which simply put, stinks.

When you put your name on the ballot, or try too, there are certain things you are obligated to share. How you manage your money says a lot about how you'll manage government. What are you hiding gentlemen?

Today's P.S.
The Democrats are making a huge effort to charactarize Tea Partiers as kooks and racists. Keep it up folks. Why are they so afraid of us?

Uh, I know. We're up to their shenanigans and will let them know about it this November. So blast away Dems. It only helps our cause.

Tea Anyone?

Flerlage worth a look in Colorado 6th.

Colorado's 6th Congressional District is a conservative one. But incumbant Mike Coffman better look over his shoulder at his Democratic challenger, John Flerlage.

Flerlage is a Marine Aviator (Once a Marine, always a Marine) and flies for Delta Airlines to pay the bills.

This author was invited to take part in a solid Q&A session with Flerlage, and while I certainly don't agree with everything he says or believes in, I do agree with another attendee's assessment that Flerlage is "Statesman like" and likely would have the cajones to stand up to the "Wicked Witch of the House" aka Nancy Pelosi.

When voters compare the records of Coffman and Flerlage, they'll have a good choice between both of them. But my first impression of Flerlage is a good one.

What's next for NASA?

With only a few Space Shuttle missions left and President Obama apparently putting the kabosh on the Orion program, what's next for NASA?

Not much apparently, other than we'll have to pay the Russians over 50 million bucks a seat to get back and forth to the International Space Station.

We'll leave a return to the moon and a trip to Mars for other countries. I know for sure there are some good deals on houses in and around Coco Beach, FL as those who worked on the shuttle program move elsewhere.

Space exploration is expensive. But it really pays for itself in the development of technology. Apollo proved that decades ago.

Where NASA has failed, is in not seeking out commercial partners. Richard Branson is building a "Spaceport" in New Mexico right now. If you have a spare 200 grand, a sub-orbital hop is yours and just think of the frequent flier miles!

Want to go to the International Space Station? The Russians will take you there for a mere $25 million.

It's space capitalism, something NASA apparently doesn't like to do. Which is too bad because science and capitalism does work. It's a good mix.

NASA needs to become NASA, Inc. Can you imagine what Google or Apple might have paid to have their logo on the side of the Shuttle? Too late now and that's too bad.

Tang anyone?

Patients need Patience.

I've been reading more than few stories about insurance companies, healthcare providers etc asking about when they get their "free insurance" and "free health care?"

They're all a tad surprised that what ever they get won't start until 2014. What we're getting now is higher taxes and "fees" to pay for it all first. Otherwise the math won't even have a chance to add up. Heck, they're even talking about a "VAT" aka Value-added Tax.

Proof positive that a lot of people have no idea what's in the bill. Although I can't blame them because the people who voted for it didn't know either.

Smoke and mirrors although down on the farm we have a different word for it. (I'll give you a hint, it requires shoveling. Lots of shoveling.

Tea anyone?

Walk softly but carry big Chop Sticks

The last thing we need is a show down over trade with China. But it's going to happen. China is feeling flush with power, and the fact they own trillions of dollars over our debt.

Some outside analysis here.

With some early mid-term elections and vulnerable Democrats, plus the fact you have a nation beginning to seriously scratch its collective head about the economy, let's hope the President keeps his cool and doesn't try and play "tough guy" with people tougher than he is.

As usual, the solution is simple. Cut taxes, spend less and pay down the debt. We can go without high speed light rail from Jackass Flats, NV to Fond du Lac, WI.

Oh yeah, give us the stimulus money. It was ours in the first place. We spend, we decide.

Tea anyone?

Politics vs Personalities

There appear to be a lot of generalities made in the mainstream media about Tea Party members. If you were to believe a majority of reports we both:

Dislike Obama
Love Sarah Palin

As the venerable Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my friend."

I watched President Obama in a feature segment during the NCAA semi-finals over the weekend and it confirmed what I've mostly felt about him. He's a nice guy. Bet he'd be fun to hang with and it's obvious he's a loving husband and father.

Where we part company is policy. His vision for America, "Government Knows Best" is oppposed to that of "We Know Best." But it doesn't mean we have to dislike each other.

As for Sarah Palin, she remains an interesting political phenom, seemingly in search of her political self. She's on FOX and she's on the Stump for some strange bedfellows including Senator John McCain. Was all that bad blood filtered somehow?

Ultimately what bothers me about Governor Palin is that she is no longer a governor. She quit before her term is up to make the big bucks in the Lower 48. She ran for a full term, swore to do that when inaugurated then took a powder.

Either you are or you aren't. I don't dislike her. Just disagree with what she did.

So, for this one Tea Party Guy, perception most assuredly is not reality. My guess is that applies to others of us as well.

Tea Anyone?

Economic Storm Warnings

Bad things happen when you spend more money than you take in, when you don't save for a "rainy day."

Sadly, government doesn't realize this. Government thinks we're a bottomless supply of money to tax, tax and tax.

Enough from me, here's an educated opinion. We're heading to the abyss, but it's still not too late to turn back.

I blog, you decide.

Tea anyone?

Obama Off-Shore Oil Policy a Quart Low

President Obama this week announced a "Major Expansion" of off-short oil and gas development. The plan was carefully written so not to make his liberal eco-base angry, and at the same time appease those of us who prefer using our own energy sources instead of buying oil from Hugo Chavez.

He achieved neither.

First of all the plan is not about drilling. Just exploration and only along the East Coast. As Senator Mark Begich (D) Alaska said, “It’s not a perfect deal, but it’s better than nothing,” adding that there is no provision for the states to share in the revenues from lease sales and royalties. “It helps move us down the path.” More like a long and winding road.

Meanwhile we have approximately One Gazillion Barrels (Gazillion is the new Trillion) of proven and recoverable oil resources up in Alaska's Arctic National Refuge. (ANWR) No need to explore. Just drill baby.

To his credit the President is going to spend money on Nuclear Power but still hasn't addressed coal, another hugely abundant source of energy.

So, it's pretty much news conferences but little in the way of action.

So the next time you fill up, or turn up the thermostat, remember that while we have the energy resources here at home, we're instead paying cold hard cash for it to the very same people who want to destroy us.

Texas Tea Anyone? Sure beats smoke and mirrors.