The Last Founding Father

I am a history buff, but admittedly, I haven't been all that interested in the history of our founding fathers. My lack of knowledge and interest in the first days of this great country have changed with the reading of The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness. In the first five pages, I learned more about our fifth President, James Monroe, than I had learned in twelve years of schooling. Mr. Unger presents President Monroe in a way that makes him more real and accessible than high school textbooks.

I read with absolute amazement at how difficult it was for our, then, little country to gain its footing. We didn't pay our soldiers with any real currency, and we didn't reward them for their service. I didn't know that the first constitution of the the “Confederation Congress” had been thrown out, and it is our nation's second Constitution that we have all come to know and love. The political infighting that happened at the beginning of our nation's history rivals the infighting of today.

Mr. Unger has presented James Madison in the most human of ways from his pining for his wife and young daughter to his liquidating “the national debt of $67 million.” Monroe served his country well. He fought in the Revolutionary War, served as our minister to both France and Britain, and he served two terms as President. He was elected to his second by running nearly unopposed and receiving 231 of 235 electoral votes.

The Last Founding Father takes you on Monroe's journey through our nation's history and growth. With quotes from the most well known players in our nation's history (Washington, Jefferson and Adams) and some lesser known, Monroe's story fills out our history. Mr. Unger has completed a well written biography of a most deserving subject.

The Morning After

I didn't stay up last night to watch Obama's speech, but I did watch McCain's. I thought he gave an eloquent and well thought out speech. I like John McCain, even if I disagree with him. His speech last night reminded me of why I like John McCain.

There are three reasons I didn't vote for John McCain:

1. He said he didn't believe in gay people adopting children. People who think that are too narrow minded -- yes, Arkansas, I'm speaking to you -- to be able to think clearly.

2. His healthcare plan.

3. Sarah Palin.

Here's what I'm hoping will now happen to the Republican Party while they're at home licking their wounds. Maybe, they'll try to get back to the Republican Party of Lincoln and Roosevelt. Maybe, they'll come back even stronger and with fiscal responsibility on their lips. I love it when an uninformed moron says to me that Democrats are tax and spend while we have the highest deficit ever.

Obama has a long way to go to help fix our broken America. We didn't allow our nation to be torn to pieces overnight and we won't be able to fix it that way, either.

I like the way McCain said he's going to work with Obama. I like that he said we're all Americans, because that's what is important. If we all work together, we can build this great lady back to the shining nation she once was.

God Bless

Another False Accusation

I have a question. With less than a week to go before the election is the McCain/Palin ticket so desparate to win that they will have Palin say anything that pops into that pretty little head of hers?

Now, she's accusing Obama of being friends with a professor that has PLO ties, which both Obama and the professor denies. According to CNN.com , the professor said "I am not speaking to the media at this time, and certainly not until this idiot wind passes."

Are they just throwing crap and hoping something sticks?

What it comes down to is what I think will happen with Obama.

Under the current administration (and McCain has voted with the current administration 90% of the time), we haven't put any money into our own infrastructure. We've been too busy rebuilding Iraq's (and not doing a very good job of it). We haven't made America safer. Think about it -- the children of Iraq who have lost mothers and fathers will be adults. And, what will they know? They will know that America bombed their country and then didn't rebuild. They will here that we're evil and some of them will grow up to become terrorists. So, just how did we make America safer in the last eight years?

I'm hoping with Obama that he will seek ways to build a good relationship with the Iraqis as we withdraw our troops.

And, as all things do, it comes down to money for me. John McCain is proposing to tax the healthcare benefits provided by my employer to the tune of costing me and in the end, I will end up paying an extra $821.84 per year. Under Obama -- if he's true to his word -- he's proposing a tax break to the tune of around $600.00 per year.

Which one would you chose?

God Bless

Stimulus Package

Economists are calling on Washington to create yet another stimulus package. Bush previously said, "No" to the idea, but something has changed his mind and now he wants one.

Well, I can't imagine this being a good idea. Let's just put our deficit even higher. Our government all ready owes everyone and their brother money. The bailout has cost every American citizen $3,100 and now, they want to pass a $150 billion bill. How is this going to help? Maybe, we just need the economy to suck for a while. It'll come back, let's just sit, wait and see what happens.

If anything should pass, it should be to give states enough money to cover unemployment. I heard that Wisconsin is running out of money. Also, it should be to help the 7.5% of Americans who are or will be unemployed find training in other fields.

Side note: My mother keeps insisting the economy is chugging along and everything is fine. One of the things she says proves this is our unemployment rate. Right now, it's lower than 7.5% and it is lower than it was in the seventies, so things are okay. Well, I don't know a lot about the seventies, but I know now if you're unemployed and not on the unemployment roll, you're not being counted. If you are still employed, but looking for a full time job, you're counted as unemployed. If you took a job way below where you were before, you're not being counted, but you're not making your full pre-firing, pre-laid off wage. None of these are good for the economy. Another thing that isn't good was the high gas prices.

Now, if they are going to send sums home to people, let's send more than a lousy $600.00 per individual. Cheryl and I normally spend more than $1800 on Christmas between gifts, wrapping paper, Christmas Eve dinner and charitable donations, but not this year. We're cutting way back this year. We haven't been able to put money into our savings accounts like previous years due to various reasons -- the least of which included the high gas prices -- and we're going to need to use the Christmas fund to pay our home taxes. Now, I'm not complaining, we both have jobs, things are just tighter than normal. We'll get through it, just as many of Americans will.

But, the only way for the economy to bounce back is we need to put money into it. So, here's my suggestion -- partially stolen from Lewis Black -- let's build something, anything. Let's put money into our intrastucture. Let's improve our roads, let's update our railroads. If we're going to spend $150 billion dollars, let's use it to create jobs. How about create an energy company, solely owned by the government, that will research fossil fuel alternatives? What about a company that will invent a better running car? Something, anything that will create jobs. And, let's take a look at the hardest hit areas of the nations and put in training centers. Let's train our unemployed and underemployed for different jobs. Not only would we employ people as trainers, but we'll make our un and under employed citizens ready for the next jobs in their lives.

How can we pay for this?

Well, let's stop substizing oil companies and large farms (not family farms, the big guys) and I'm sure there's other things as well. Let's rollback the tax breaks on the upper 1%. We all know taxes have to be raised, so let's just get it over with. Hell, I'd chip in a little more in taxes to pay for something that benefits all.

But, it'll never happen.

So, if they do pass the stimulus, I hope it's enough money so we can buy some really nice Christmas presents.

God Bless

Women are NOT interchangeable!

In 1920, women finally gained the right to vote (144 years after the nation was formed). In the last 88 years, you would think that men would've learned something about women -- anything. Yet, in a US News & World article I was reading this morning, a male writer (and I would tell you which one, but I left the magazine at home) wrote something to the effect that disillusioned women Hillary voters will now back McCain because of Palin.

I hate to burst his bubble, but Hillary supporters aren't going to vote for McCain because of Palin. That would be tantamount to slitting their own throats. Women who supported Hillary believe what Hillary believes -- they're pro-choice, against the war in Iraq and for public healthcare coverage. This is everything Palin isn't.

The battle between the two would be interesting.

The lawyer who stood by her philandering husband versus the sports reporter who is forcing her 17 year old daughter to marry to save face.

The Senator from the 3rd largest state versus the Governor from the 3rd smallest state (by population, not land area).

Except this race isn't about Hillary and it isn't about Sarah; it is about Barack Obama and John McCain and which MAN we think will lead our country into a bright future.

It's really too bad the election isn't between Hillary and Sarah. It would make for a more interesting race. And, since it isn't about the two of them, let me just shout this out to the men, WOMEN ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE!!!!!!

God Bless

Obama's Dog

I love this little piece of gossip I heard.

Barrack and Michelle Obama made a deal with their two young daughters that if they would support their father's bid for president, they could have a dog. Now, the dog issue is constant dinner time discussion. One of their daughter's has allergies, so the American Kennel Club has a list of five dogs the Obamas should consider and they are holding a vote about which one the family should get. Now, I understand the reasoning behind the list of five dogs -- these are hypoallergenic, but I think they left one dog off their list -- the American Eskimo Dog.

Now, I have allergies to both cats and dogs. I own Skywalker an eleven year old Eskie. He's a beautiful dog, as well as spoiled. He barks a little too much, but he's good with kids. He loves car rides and being with his family. When my grandsons were born, he took a great interest in them. There are very few people who can grab his tail -- Danny and Alex are on that list. He's studier than any of the other foo foo breeds the AKC picked.

So, here's my personal invitation to the Obama family. Before picking one of these dogs picked out by the AKC, come check out Skywalker. If not him, make sure you meet someone else's American Eskimo Dog. They are the most loving creatures on the planet and would make a perfect pet for your girls. Even the AKC agrees:

The American Eskimo Dog is intelligent, alert, and friendly, although slightly conservative. It is never overly shy nor aggressive, and such dogs are to be severely penalized in the show ring. At home it is an excellent watchdog, sounding a warning bark to announce the arrival of any stranger. It is protective of its home and family, although it does not threaten to bite or attack people. The American Eskimo Dog learns new tasks quickly and is eager to please.

Sounds like the perfect dog for two growing little girls. Might be nice to have a couple of youngsters in the White House again. :-)

God Bless

Conseratives for Romney

According to Mitt Romney, he is going to win the Republican Nomination because "We really can't afford John McCain as the nominee of our party."

John McCain is the only candidate out there that might bring our country back together. Mitt Romney is only interested in keeping our nation apart. He said in a recent debate that he supports a protection of marriage amendment. That's just a fancy way of saying anti-gay amendment. He's been pandering to the religious right and that isn't the way to bring this nation back together.

We have serious issues that need to be solved. We are fighting two wars -- Afghanistan and Iraq. The dollar is slowly sinking. Foreclosures are at an all time high. We have 47 million Americans without any healthcare. Gas prices hover around $3.00 a gallon (here in Racine) and we're headed for a recession when we really haven't recovered from the last recession.

Those are the issues we need to be discussing. We need to strengthen our borders and join together to bring America back to the glory I know in my heart she so rightfully deserves.

John McCain can bring our country back together. Under McCain's leadership, we can solve our issues working together. A union divided cannot stand -- we learned that over 100 years ago when a man named Lincoln was our president. We can learn it again under a man named McCain.

A vote for Romney is a vote for four more years of the division we have had under Bush. A vote for McCain is a vote for unity.

God Bless

PS. Anyone Limbaugh and Coulter don't want in the president's seat must be okay.

White House Papers

First let me begin by saying that in this country everyone is presumed innocent until proven
guilty. I believe in this. However; I, also, believe in the saying my late grandmother taught me: Where there's smoke, there's fire.

The White House keeps claiming Executive Privilege every time they are asked for anything,
visitor logs, papers, notes. According to Bush and Cheney EVERYTHING is off limits. I'm curious, just who do these guys think they are? President Bush and Vice President Cheney have apparently forgotten the Preamble to the Constitution -- We the People. They work for us. And, if my employer has the right to read my email and view my notes, then I have the right to do the same to Bush and Cheney. This is not, as Bush said recently, HIS GOVERNMENT. This is OUR GOVERNMENT.

The White House papers should be turned over NOW - not later. By them
not turning over the uncensored papers, it makes me wonder what they
have to hide. By not allowing Harriet Miers to testify, what are they
hiding?

Even if you think that Bush is God's right hand man, you have to
realize that he is acting more like a dictator than a President.

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.