The decades old arrogance of America’s auto-makers, has finally come home to roost.

Since I was a child in the middle-ages, Detroit has treated its clientele like chattels. Dragging buyers around by the nose, incrementally up-scaling its products to increase revenue in its captive market.

After WWII, you’ll remember it, It was in all the papers. Europeans began to invade the market with low cost autos with tiny more fuel efficient power plants and Spartan accommodations. They were largely ignored by Detroit as a nuisance. Over the years we have seen the Japanese and now other Asian sources capture a large slice of the domestic auto market. Still, Detroit ignored the hand-writing on the wall, billboards, the news, and the American roads.

Now they are in the toilet as America feels the pinch of global fuel prices from which they have enjoyed immunity as our dependence on imported petroleum has escalated three-fold. If the auto industry is to survive, It will require propping up, by the tax-payers.

I believe it is essential that we do this.  When we do, whatever is loaned to them must carry with it enforceable caveats with respect to what they must do to come along into the 21st century with the rest of our crumbling planet. Draconian fuel efficiency requirements must be attached to any bail-out, along with restrictions on green-house gas emissions.

In short, they must re-take the leadership and produce a basically electric fleet, perhaps fueled by Hydrogen fuel cells. The technologies for this exist now. It will also require a distribution system for Hydrogen, which will create new jobs. The love affair with performance can be satisfied , since electro-motive systems will be capable of far better performance than the century old internal combustion technology.

Currently a high performance fully electric state-of the-art roadster, the Tesla, is available. This unit goes like a rocket, because of the inherent superiority of electric drive systems and accelerates to 60mph in under 6 seconds it has a range over 200 miles, and it lithium-ion battery pack is rechargeable in 3.5 hours. It is priced at $109,000, but the company promises a competitively priced sports sedan in 2010.

If this smells like creeping socialism, too bad! The free markets and un-restrained capitalistic greed have led us to the abyss in which we find ourselves. Socialism is a fete accompli. The bankers have been awarded a un-restricted free ride; The larcenous traitors who created this mess must be held to account. The new administration must enact Draconian restraints and over-sight on the bailout of the banking system as well as any aid to the auto industry.

After listening to people who think they are a lot smarter than we are tell the nation that Governor Sarah the Terrah Palin is to blame for the loss, we have our explanation for why on January 20, 2009 anytime after high noon on that Tuesday whenever the band plays “Hail To The Chief” it will be for America’s first black president and not its oldest curmudgeon.

BTW we think Sarah Palin was a terrible choice for veep, but we do not hold her entirely responsible for the GOP’s failure to capture the White House. Someone had to sign off on her selection for the job.

Reason number 1:

We think good old John McCain could have won if only he’d brought out George Bush and Karl Rove’s secret weapon “Osama bin Laden” to endorse Barack Obama on the eve of the election. We believe this action would have very effectively struck fear in the hearts of voters, and given John the vote. We think it would have been Just as effective as the alleged Rovian dirty trick of saying, during the campaign of 2000, JMack fathered a child with a black prostitute .

All McCain and his strategists had to do was “find” video footage of bin Laden, or his cinematic double, making new threats to do harm by attacking the USA.

Any old video of bin Laden would do. It does not matter what he’s really saying; he’s difficult to understand anyway. They can overdub anything on a voice track.  Something like” I love Obama” or “Kill, kill, kill America!”  Then surely John McCain would have been thrust into greatness as our 44th POTUS.

Alternatively he could have started a new career as a film producer of “Osama bin Laden film Productions” also known as “ObL Productions” with John’s Osama saying,  “I like flame broiled better than fried.” or “When it comes to late night tee vee programming I like Letterman better than Leno.”

Reason Number 2:

John McCain is just plain uglier, a lot uglier.

Have you ever noticed the election usually goes to the more attractive or better looking guy?

What could John McCain have done to fix this problem? Well he could have had a face or brain transplant. He tried most everything else. How NEW. It definitely would have proven once and for all that John McCain wasn’t stuck in the past. John McCain Reborn: in the body of a 20 year old, the advantage of youth and experience.

Consider our presidential races of the past. Ever since TV became prominent the better looking man has usually won.

Bush vs Gore (Bush looked better in those days)
Bush vs Kerry   (Kerry’s face is somewhat twisted.)
Clinton vs Bush (Hands down Clinton)
Reagan an actor vs Jimmy Carter (Some might argue for Jimmy but remember Reagan was a well known, easily recognizable “B” grade actor.)
John Kennedy vs Richard Nixon   (The first TV election where looks really mattered and Tricky Dick was foisted on the petard of his own five, six, seven, eight o’clock shadow and upper lip glistening with sweat.)

The exceptions are: LBJ-hard to lose after an assassination. Nixon 2-After Bobby Kennedy, Sr. was assassinated.

So now you know why the Republicans are dragging up beauty queens for the political contest some pundits in the past have called a “beauty contest”. When they find one with brains they might have a match.

“General Motors and Ford burned through a stunning $14.6 billion in cash last quarter. *G.M.’s stock has sunk so low that you could buy the entire company for $2 billion. Bankruptcy seems all but inevitable.

In September, Congress authorized $25 billion to U.S. automakers to retool their factories to build fuel-efficient cars. But that money is slow in coming and Detroit wants more, including some of the bucks from the $800 billion Wall Street bailout. Last week, Barack Obama said he’d like to speed up the $25 billion and pursue additional policy options to help the car companies ‘weather the financial crisis and succeed in producing fuel-efficient cars here in the United States.’ “

As I read about the value of General Motors stock, remembering all the while that this is the company that had been talking about buying Chrysler, it occurred to me that G.M should be allowed to wither and die or be bought cheap by the government. We the people would own a car company that would build the kind of fuel efficient cars we’ve been begging for the last thirty years.

I thought we could even build the car that G.M. trashed and Toyota salvaged. That car today would be the hybrid Prius. We could have cars that are not only fuel efficient, green machines but moderately priced to compete with the new cheap cars soon to be coming out of India and China. We could build the promised 80MPG vehicle that was to be in dealers showrooms by 2004.

It’s like this. The big three automotive companies already received twenty-five billion of our dollars to be “bailed out” of a bad situation. If they want more money they’ll have to give American consumers more than lip service. They’ll have to follow through with making the fuel efficient vehicles we want to be come independent of imported oil. Detroit auto manufacturers must also make combustion engines that use natural gas. These engines would be used in the manufacture of  trucking transportation vehicles. Costs for food, clothing and a host of others essentials transported by truck would be greatly reduced if the fuel were less expensive.

As our newly elected president is working with the Bush government to smoothly transition into an Obama government, while asking for relief for the unemployed. I’m expecting some federal legislators who are influenced by the automotive industry lobbyists to attach some car manufacturing money to the unemployment bill. Though I think pork-barreling is sleazy legislating, but is the accepted modality to help a representatives constituents, I say let’s make the big three car manufacturers accountable.

Attach some strings. Tell your legislators to include a stipulation in the bill mandating car manufacturers must produce fuel efficient, moderately priced cars, models competitive with the major foreign auto makers Toyota and Honda, by the fall of 2009. No re-tooling boondoggle; no we need time for R&D. As Nike says, “JUST DO IT!” or there is no funding and Ford, GM and Chrysler go the way of the dinosaur. The result is modern day America moves on to re-build a viable economic future. That’s what I think!

*emphasis added by BARD

We also say a hearty congratulations to Tony Goudie the newly elected mayor of Ponce Inlet, Florida. We’re happy our own highlander will be leading the town and its council to maintaining the cozy small town feel of our precious historic location while bringing us into the 21st Century.

We wish much success to our choices of winning candidates.

We think President-elect Obama’s plan is an excellent way. It’s a 21st Century innovation with its basis in the 20th Century creativity of the 32nd POTUS Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Barack Obama and his advisors and staff have made groundbreaking strides in using Internet technology to run a successful political campaign in modern times.

We believe President-elect Obama can lead a team of enthusiastic competent leaders building on the foundation of traditional American governance to be the innovators of a fresh new government providing the economic relief many of us are hopeful of receiving.

“A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled to, and less than that no man shall have.”

This quote from Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of The United States, who served from 1901 to 1909, a soldier himself,  reminds us to provide for our returning veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If you know of any veterans in your community, vets from the current wars or other wars do your part to help them and their families. There is a web site established by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to help other veterans. The site uses 21st Century technology to form a private, safe caring community online for soldiers returning from the war. Watch the  video for more information.

We love and respect Marines. We’re very glad and extremely happy to say of all the branches of the service and we love them all, we admit we love the USMC the best. Maybe it’s because it’s the smallest of the military organizations. Maybe it’s the way those men and women look in their dress blues. And have you ever seen them in the formal white uniforms?? Oooolala they are ever so sharp!

Happy birthday to all the corps members everywhere on the planet. Sempre Fidelis!

“So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other …
In this country, we rise and fall as one nation; as one people.”
— President-elect Barack Obama, Grant Park-Chicago, Illinois November 4, 2008

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears have been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, Our God, where we met Thee;
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand.
True to our GOD,
True to our native land

During the campaign he was called terrorist, Marxist, communist, socialist, elitist, and a host of other insulting names, Senator Barack Obama can now be called, Mr. President.

The late civil rights activist the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream is no longer a dream. It is a reality in the beginning of the 21st Century.

The Illinois Democrat, Senator Obama, will become the forty-fourth national executive to run our nation. Now the country has lived up to its potential. We believe our standing in the world has improved significantly with the election of the man who inspired so many citizens.

The Republican opponent, Senator John McCain of Arizona telephoned his congratulations to his former opponent. In Arizona McCain� announced his concession to his supporters.

Meanwhile the nation and the world await the victory speech to be presented Barack Obama in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois.

Fast forward to today…Presidential Campaign 2008… Lost in the caboose is good old John McCain. He wasn’t good enough in 2000, what makes anyone think he is good enough now? This train is going backwards on the Bridge To Nowhere� real fast. Perhaps they knew they were going to lose and thought why not sacrifice John McCain again? Or perhaps it is a test to determine how stupid is too stupid. Ladies and gentlemen, lacking the intelligence or common sense of Forest Gump, John McCain. but remember even Forest did not become president though he did become rich like McCain.

Now voters the Bush-whack was bad enough for a disaster movie,� we sure don’t want to get train-wrecked in 2008 by the psychopathically insincere Peter Lorre smile of the John McCain Double Talk Slow Motion Stage Coach Train Wreck: Episode on the Precipice of Disaster. All Aboard! Trust me McCain as the conductor taking you down the tracks where� his pals have already blown the rails out out.

But don’t worry, little Annie Oakley can skin a Russian and start a war with a moose so there is absolutely no danger if the engineer should fall asleep or drop dead at the wheel now that the dead man break switch has been safely removed. Full Petroleum ahead. There is no doubt we’re in danger of going straight off the tracks with Nailin’ Pailin’ on board. Them Russkie ships sailing are into our hemisphere. Our missiles in Poland can blow out Moscow’s lights. Happy Birthday.

This is the perfect set up for the new guy.

If only the financial collapse had come about one hundred eighteen days later.� It would have been the sublime set up for Blame the new guy.

Somehow they are trying to do that anyway. Even though he “has no experience and according to the GOP has done absolutely nothing” nevertheless he is also to blame for everything that has gone wrong with the banks and the economy.� Barack Obama he’s that one, didn’t you know .

The senator acknowledged her death publicly on Monday night at a rally in North Carolina� saying “It’s hard to talk about”. Mr. Obama credits his maternal grandparents with being extremely influential in his development.A statement about their grandmother’s death was released by Senator Obama and his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng� saying in part, “She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility.”

At a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 3, 2008 Obama said, “She was one of those quiet heroes that we have all across America. They�re not famous. Their names are not in the newspapers, but each and every day they work hard. They aren�t seeking the limelight. All they try to do is just do the right thing.”

We send our solemn sympathy to the family and friends of Madelyn Dunham.

We dig his energy.� We like the fact he’s young, sensible, enthusiastic, sincere and bright. Most of all we believe he will serve the community well. We wish him success in the upcoming general election.

Senator Barack Obama, who said he was “shocked and saddened by the news of Tolbert’s death describes� Tolbert as� “a strong force in this campaign, with a positive outlook that brought people together.”

Tolbert was a former senior aide to New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein and mayor Michael Bloomberg.� he is survived by his wife Freida, and his mother, Carolyn.

The following is the statement of reaction about Tolbert’s demise issued by Mayor Bloomberg’s office:

“Last night, Terence Tolbert, who was a valued member of our Administration and had become a personal friend of mine, had a massive heart attack in Nevada where he was working on Senator Obama’s campaign. Terence was not only somebody who was one of the most likeable people in the world, he was one of the most hardworking people in the world. He had great judgment and a great feel for people, and this really is a great tragedy. Our Administration will miss him, the City will miss him, the country will miss him, and all of our prayers go out to his wife Freida and his mother Carolyn. We’ll announce the funeral arrangements when they’re made, but this really is a tragedy and it puts things in perspective. One of the nice things about November 4th was going to be that Terence would come back to us. Now, sadly, he is never going to come back - but we will never forget him.”

A separate statement was also issued by New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein who said:

�Terence Tolbert was a leader, mentor, and friend to people throughout our Department and this entire City. Working for the City�s children here, in Albany, and in Washington, D.C. as Executive Director of Inter-Governmental Relations, he was a source of inspiration, a person who fought hard for others who were less fortunate and a person who believed deeply that government can and must play a constructive role in improving the lives of its citizens. His warmth and humor permeated our offices. His untimely passing will be felt personally and deeply by so many of us. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.�

We extend our condolence to his family and friends.

Super-de-duper fantastically rich Evelyn and Lynne de Rothschild

We had heard in September how Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, (yes, that de Rothschild ), a former Democrat supporter of Hillary Clinton, had decided to go to the dark side in switching her support to JMack and the Republicans.

Before we get lost in Orwellian definitions a la the classic, George Orwell’s 1984 we’ll begin this piece by stating the current definition of the word “ELITE” from the Oxford English Dictionary is
“a group of people regarded as the best in a particular society or organization.” Another definition� from the American Heritage Dictionary� defines the word “ELITE” as a group or class of persons or a member of such a group or class, enjoying superior intellectual, social, or economic status.
She does not like Senator Obama. Rothschild says:

“I feel like he has not given me reason to trust him. I feel like he is an elitist.”

Imagine that!� The former Lynne Forester, formerly of New Jersey, who happened to get lucky after two previous failed marriages, wed to Sir Evelyn de Rothschild heir of the storied, fantastically wealthy, highly influential British banking dynasty, thinks the son of a middle class woman from Kansas and an economist from Kenya, is an elitist. Sure sounds like a silver spoon birth to us. If Barack Obama has not achieved economic elitist stature by money perhaps he is an elitist when it comes to intellect? Do we want someone stupid in the White House? We just finished 8 years of that.

This is clearly a case of racist class language manipulation. According to the Wikipedia Lady Forester de Rothschild, one of the richest of the rich, one of the elite of the elite, is the daughter of John Kenneth Forester, president and owner of the General Aviation Company in Teterboro, New Jersey; she is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Pomona College and Columbia University Law School.� She was at one time a lawyer at the Simpson Thacher & Bartlett law firm.

Maybe in her twisted world with so much money the thinks a man raised by a single mother and his maternal grandparents is the lifestyle of an elitist. Make’s sense, after all John McCain thinks the middle class is those with up to 5 million dollars. What then does that make the rest of us mortals. The peasants, the poor, the lower class? In up is down world the poor are the elite?

The Lady de Rothschild think’s the Obama tax proposal is elitist, too. This makes us laugh. Lynne states Barack’s tax plan is elitist because…his economic plan will raise taxes on people in her income bracket; that would be the super-spectacularly rich bracket, also known as the have the absolute most bracket. Word on the street is she could face an increase of upwards of 10 percent.

Forester de Rothschild says Obama is an elitist because he’s targeting the elites, like herself.� She also says this because she thinks it’s easier to hide her classicist racist tendencies.� Apparently this fact has been pointed out by other political observers. She refers to white folks who are not in her economic-strata as the pejorative “rednecks”.

In an attempt to make herself appear humane Forester de Rothschild calls the Democrat’s tax plan “sinister” not just because it raises taxes on fantastically rich people, which according to her is bad.� It’s also bad because to her� “it has been shown that reductions in tax rates to the rich and wealthy actually increase tax revenues because private enterprise strengthens the economy which in turn creates a larger tax base.”: This makes as much sense as you and I have money and you must give me all yours because then I will have more to spend and that will strengthen the economy. If the rich give a little more they will still have more than enough left, but if the “poor” under $50,000 give more they and their families may seriously have to do without, but that’s okay because the rich need their wealth.

According to Forester De Rothschild and the Republicans the reason why immigrants flock to The United States, which the Republicans are trying to prevent, is to achieve the rich American dream. Under the guise of “middle class tax cuts” Senator Barack Obama is threatening that dream. So now she is worried about people from overseas having more money? She likely is planning to hire some immigrants for the grunt work at her several homes.

According to Rothschild, If he is successful, Barack Obama will bring the kind of radical transformation� this country does not need and never has, and the country will be in for a shock.

Hmmm seems there were some capitalists who made similar statements when FDR was running for office, too. He was a president who was transformational in saving the capitalists from themselves. They were destined to failure had Roosevelt not stepped in with a plan that saved the nation.

Like Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt were for their eras, Barack Obama is a man for these times to provide the change we need to secure the future we want for our children and ourselves.

Samuel Augustus Maverick was an influential Texas cattleman who lived from 1803 until 1870 was known in Texas history as a land owner, a politician, and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

The progeny of Maverick say John MCcain the Republican candidate for POTUS is no Maverick.
You see maverick is the term used to describe unbranded cattle. Sam accepted some cattle in exchange for a debt owed to him. He put them on a island off the Texas coast and there they were allowed to roam without a brand. Later Sam Maverick used the same technique to claim unbranded cattle as his own.

Sam Maverick’s descendant children say the term came into use during the 1860s to describe anyone with an independent streak, someone not branded. John McCain wears the brand of the GOP.

Fontaine Maverick, great-great-granddaughter who is featured along with other Maverick family members in a Brave New Films documentary explains:

“Mavericks believe everybody has a right to be in America so long as they obey the law. Grandfather Maury was no coward. He chased the Klan right out of San Antonio once, stood up to the mob… Maury was burned in effigy in San Antonio, for his defense of members of the Communist Party’s right to assemble, for his defense of the Hispanic community, support for those who didn’t have a voice. ”

Nope that does not sound like John McCain to us. It may sound a little like the John McCain Campaign Version Year 2000.

The story of how two Canadian comics made a phone call to La Palin� wherein she gushed as she spoke to a man with a fake French accent as he was introducing himself as French president Nicholas Sarkozy is just one more example of how a woman who came from the wooded frozen tundra of Alaska is not ready for prime time politics.Canadian politicians get prank calls from comedians all the time.

As you will hear in the recording of the phone call neither Republican number two candidate Palin nor her crew, er, staff know anything about politics even though they are deeply involved in the finals days of a national campaign. Any alert staffer would know that Sarkozy calling Palin would be a remote possibility because the man has endorse Senator Barack Obama the Democrat candidate.

Gosh darn Sarah can you hire someone to effectively professionally screen your calls? Sounds like in the final days of the campaign you’ve been abandoned by the Bush team. Even they would not be such gullible rubes.

There were several indications throughout the call that this was not a genuine call from a foreign dignitary. The most telling was the fake Sarkozy’s comment about “the documentary Nailin’ Palin”, a reference to the Hustle Larry Flint production of a porno spoof about Palin.

Maybe she was having trouble understanding him. As you listen to the call you may agree. He does talk funny and he is hard to understand.

For the sake of the Canadians we hope McCain and Palin are not elected.

After delaying the game because of bad weather and television officials consideration for the man who may become the next POTUS, the Philadelphia Phillies have clinched major league baseball’s World Series title for a second time. It’s their first championship in twenty-eight years. They bested the Tampa Bay Rays by winning four of the five games played. The major league championship event is determined by the best of seven games.

The last time the team won was in 1980 with the late Tug McGraw as the team’s reliable reliever in a stadium that no longer exists. Not bad fpr the team with the distinction of having lost the most games in the history of the sport.

Just as in 1980 the final game was an exciting one at home in Philadelphia.
Congratulations to the 2008 World Series Champions!

It is the first time a presidential contender has purchased a half hour in prime time on national television� to reach the undecided voters. The Democrat party candidate and his strategists purchased a thirty minute block of prime time advertising from the major networks CBS, NBC and Fox, as well as Spanish-language broadcast outlet Univision, MSNBC, BET and TVOne.� CNN and ABC did not participate and from the early audience numbers announced by Nielsen, the company that specializes in such things, those two networks missed out on a ratings boost.

The viewership numbers for Wednesday nights at 8PM usually average twenty-three million viewers.� When all the outlets that carried the ad are counted the preliminary numbers for last night’s total audience for the political half hour program in prime time are considerably higher.

McCain huckster, er-ah spokesman Tucker Bounds reacts: “As anyone who has bought anything from an infomercial knows, the sales-job is always better than the product. Buyer beware.”

We say Tucker Bounds obviously knows nothing of the history of the infomercial, the quality of the products offered or Ron Popeil,� the innovator of the format. It’s obvious to us, and there are others who agree, Tucker Bounds does not know what he does not know.

The ad’s content was in keeping with the consistent message of the Obama-Biden campaign. It was dignified, poised and on topic about the things ordinary Americans are concerned about. The ad showcased the qualities Americans should now be seeking in a leader.

A Reminder: If you have not yet voted be sure to VOTE Tuesday, November 4th 2008

OPTIMISM ?  October, 2008

Before I beg your indulgence in my opinions, let me stipulate that regardless of any particular outcome of earthly events, I don’t for an instant believe that it matters in a cosmic sense. To me It is just our little drama.

I feel the need to review, and the presentation of my random thoughts can be disorganized. I’m not the best writer since Vonnegut, or Jefferson, so I struggle to organize.

We are fewer than 3 weeks out from without doubt the most critical election in my lifetime, and I recognize that all have been important in their contexts. We began the process, one is hard pressed to remember when but,I suppose December 2000 is an arguable choice. It is improbable that one can synopsize the intervening period.

As a nation we are so different today than we were then. Events have certainly stacked up.

Our circumstances could hardly have been more altered. WWII was a time of severe societal upheaval.
I was there for that one, and I feel that this time is far more severe.

Mostly, I believe, because of the underlying alteration of our direction as a culture that preceded the successful tampering with a national election.

We had stopped caring about our similarities and focused too much energy on our differences. In doing this we lost sight of our government, which had basically gone into hiding,while we were wallowing in our materialism on our progeny’s nickel, it gave away the farm to the oligarchy.

One could take either position. Is it half full or half empty ? In either it needs filling.
Though the dour side is my habitual stance, my sense is optimistic.

I know that we are in a game where which side one is on is critical to the survival of humans. I believe that greed created our current social, cultural, political, and economic troubles. Make no mistake I am in no way un-biased.

I’m going to go back to the birth of what got us here. It was during the Reagan era, a small group of political figures within the administration, which bus in my opinion was being driven by Vice President George Herbert Walker Bush whose cadre included William Kristol, Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, and Richard Perle. They came up with The Project for a New American Century (PNAC) which basically states that America should rule the world by force of arms when necessary.

Along the winding path of three administrations. Punctuated by the doctrine of shrinking Federal authority and Congressional over-sight. We have come to our current sword of Damocles.

We find our nation is bankrupt both economically and culturally.

We have been extorted into the greatest transfer of wealth in history. From the American taxpayers to the Speculators that swindled everyone.

We are on the cusp of the unthinkable, about to cast off centuries of racism and elect a non-Caucasian President.

It is in my opinion possible to emerge from this abyss into a Utopian eruption of abandonment of fear and the malice it engenders.

We can overcome the economic problem by utilizing our greatest strength, our capacity for unity of purpose. Learning how to capture the abundant solar energy at our disposal every day will bring economic prosperity to the entire planet, and great wealth to America as the developer of the licensable technologies. The research and development effort alone will create perhaps a half million new high paying jobs.

To my thinking this is the most hopeful underpinning to a full recovery from the now totally discredited Republican plan.

Re: public cans —- I think they are overflowing.

Legislators in the great state of Flawda have managed to use their influence to have someone’s homophobic idea placed on the ballot for consideration by the electorate.� It’s a piece of legislation that is so anti-gay it goes into the areas that will affect even straight people.

The proposed amendment, like its federal cousin endeavors to provide�and is described as the protection of “marriage as the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and provides that no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.”

Marriage does not require protection, especially in the state of Florida where gay marriage is not recognized. There are at least four different statues banning same sex unions.

The suggested�law will damage unmarried heterosexual partners as well as homosexual partners; it could be used to prohibit employers from extending benefits, such as health insurance, to any domestic partners�young, straight, old or gay.

According to legal analysts it may affect arrangements allowing seniors to share living accommodations while preserving inheritance rights for their children and grandchildren; it may also complicate existing�child-custody arrangements for thousands of unmarried parents in Florida.

The deceptive wording of this proposal disguises the far reaching negative impact beyond the intended target groups which is gays and far right conservatives.� The legal opinion provided by Cynthia Hawkins-Leon is a very bad opinion from a lawyer who likely stands to benefit from the countless court battles that could mushroom if this amendment becomes law. VOTE No on the Marriage Amendment.

Floridians for your review the Gandolph Marriage Amendment proposal presented by Henry Gandolph:

Marriage is an endangered species. We need to get our machine guns and shoot down anyone who threatens marriage. This includes randy gay men, randy lesbians, randy philanderers and any one else caught looking at someone else who they are not married to and who may or may not be of the opposite sex. Wait I think minute I’m in Iraq.

The search continues for little seven year-old Julian King with Chicago police handing out fliers in the area as they look for the child who was reported missing late Friday following the discovery by another family member and police the bodies of his murdered maternal grandmother and uncle in the family home on the South Side of Chicago.

The mother of singing sensation Jennifer Hudson, Darnell Donerson, and her son, Jason Hudson, Jennifer Hudson’s brother, both had been mortally wounded by gun blasts, and found dead by police authorities on Friday. Late Friday evening the seven year-old African American male child was reported missing and police issued an Amber Alert to enlist the help of the local and national community to find the boy.

The FBI is working with the Chicago police to search for the boy described as being 4-feet-11 and 130 pounds. He was wearing a striped brown polo shirt and khaki pants when last seen.

The family announced today, Sunday, October 26, 2008 they are offering a reward of $100 thousand for the child’s return to his family.

Ain’t Funny has produced a series of ads to be aired in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida featuring a cast of well known comedians, comic actors and writers.

Interestingly, not all of the performers are Jewish. The cast is a diversified group of concerned citizens. We think that’s an appropriately representative of people who support a candidate who has built the broadest multi-racial coalition in the history of American politics. Obama is truly a “uniter”. He is a candidate whose story could only have unfolded in America.

The ads feature Danny De Vito and his wife Rhea Perlman, writer and television producer Larry Gelbart, actress Valerie Harper, actor, producer, director Gary Marshall, brother of Penny Marshall, actor, producer, writer Carl Reiner, who starred in Ocean’s 11through 13, and father of actor director Rob Reiner; Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, the parents of actor comedian Ben Stiller.

Watch as they remind older citizens their vote will determine the kind of life their grandchildren will have in this country.

Crist was asked by CNN Correspondent Sean Callebs if he thought Palin would be able to attract the undecided voters in the state thus helping McCain to secure Florida’s 27 electoral votes. “I think we both know the answer to that,” he said. “But there’s no question she fired up the base.”

Even though McCain did not select the governor to be his running mate, Crist is still planning to be wed in December to his fiance Carole Rome. When the deal is actually sealed, between Rome and Florida’s most eligible bachelor, we will send a news alert to all our readers. You’ll find the details here.

As the week progressed others chimed in with tepid support of Palin. Not the least of them being Joe Lieberman, former Democrat turned Independent turned Republican lap dog turned “I-ll-side-with- whoever-provides-the-best-opportunity-however-the-wind-is-blowing-at-the-moment” also known as an opportunist.� Lieberman, former Democrat vice presidential candidate in the campaign for the White House� during 2000 responded this way when questioned by a Connecticut newspaper about Palin’s readiness to become president if necessary on Day One:

“Thank God, she’s not gonna have to be president from day one, because McCain’s going to be alive and well.”

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, a formidable McCain opponent during the Republican primaries, said, when pressed to comment on whether or not Sarah Palin is ready to be president should the situation arise, “Well, that — that’s something which I — I believe the American people will, uh, assess individually and say, uh, yeah, she’s got the kind of executive experience that you’d hope to find from a person who’s been a governor and a mayor.” Romney also noted “…executive experience was something I’d pushed pretty hard when I was running.” Basically the so-called vice presidential bridesmaid was caught off guard as he stuttered, stammered and was obviously less than enthusiastic in his “endorsement” of Palin.

Other GOP members nationwide, those not on the veep short list, have been far more harsh, as in unable to hide their disapproval, in their critique of McCain’s selection of Palin; while still other traditional Republicans are distressed by the way McCain’s campaign has been run.
In just a few more days we’ll know if their concern is justified .

Despite all they’ve experienced there is hope for a happy ending to this tale. They are hopeful for real change.

Watch closely as Mayor Dianne Keller describes her duties as Sarah Palin’s successor in the job.

After listening to this job description we think community organizer has more responsibility that can be specifically detailed. Mayor of Wasilla has got to be the easiest mayoral gig in the nation!

We could have given you money to save your home or business, but instead we’re giving you, our vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin’s used jacket…estimated retail value five thousand dollars.

Now you Miss Old Lady, all you needed was about� one or two thousand dollars to stay in your home. We’re not going to give you that. We’re gooing to give you Sarah Palin’s previously worn shoes…they’re Jimmy Choo’s don’tcha know! Estimated retail value five hundred dollars. They may not fit but at least when you get evicted no one can say you were left out in the cold shoeless and barefooted.

Attention younger ladies…haven’t had any food for several weeks? We have a special today just for you. Sarah Palin’s bra and panties. They may not fit, but just� imagine all the men you can meet when you tell them you’re wearing Sarah Palin’s bra and panties. Maybe they’ll even feed you.

Hey kids, can’t afford schoolbooks, pencils, pens, backpacks, the bus, or lunch ? What you need is Sarah Palin’s daughter’s Louis Vuitton purse. The seven year old loves the balance of the handbag as she frolics across the airport tarmac. The retail price range for this designer bag begins at� $790 and may top off around $1,020 to $1,480.

We agreed with Blanche Africa Reilly Dark when she said: “I’ll bet that bag wasn’t purchased from some Manhattan street vendor, knock-off warehouse or flea market!”