Today's Biggest Loser

America's School Children

This week, president elect Obama has nominated an old Chicago basketball buddy to head the nation's education system. Arne Duncan is the 44 year old chief of Chicago's public school system. His bio is impressive enough: magna cum laude from Harvard with a degree in Sociology. This may help explain why he is pushing so hard for a gay only high school in the city and to pay students for good grades. The rub is that neither Obama nor Duncan support public schools. Obama's daughters attend the University of Chicago Laboratory School, which Duncan also attended. The bigger rub is that even Chicago teachers do not support public schools. 38% of public school teachers in Chicago send their kids to private schools. That figure is very telling. Studies like the 2004 Thomas Fordham Institute report find big city public school teachers to be more likely than the general population they serve to have their own children in private schools. So what does Mr. Duncan offer the education system in America. More money spent, more specialized schools, no vouchers and no real improvement. Congratulations kids...in all of this, you are the biggest loser.

Colin Powell Thinks You are an Idiot

Remember way back when, when Colin Powell liked John McCain in the primary election? Then he shuffled as he so often does and endorsed Barry for president. Now, he still thinks he has some significance or bearing on the Republican party. He was never in the party before, so why start now? He wants to move conservatives to the middle. He wants to hi-jack the party and make it moderate. Now he is blasting talk radio, the ones that keep the fire going for the base. "Can we continue to listen to Rush Limbaugh? Is this really the kind of party that we want to be when these kinds of spokespersons seem to appeal to our lesser instincts rather than our better instincts?" Well, we sure as hades aren't going to listen to you. Rush and Sean actually endorsed McCain. You endorsed Obama. What makes you think you can tell true conservatives anything. You built your career on the backs of Republicans and never once showed an ounce of gratitude. "I think the party has to stop shouting at the world and at the country. I think that the party has to take a hard look at itself, and I've talked to a number of leaders in recent weeks and they understand that." What leaders? Pelosi and Schumer?

The Republican party is searching for leadership. They are wandering a bit right now. Someone will soon step up and take the role of leading us into the next cycle. Colin Powell is not that man. Colin Powell is a wolf in sheep's dress blues. Colin Powell thinks you are an idiot.

An Even Better Quote for Today

"They (the Founding Fathers) knew that governments don't control things. A government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they know when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. They also knew, those Founding Fathers, that outside of its legitimate functions, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector of the economy. "

Ronald Reagan, 1964, A Time For Choosing Speech

I sure do miss that man.

Quote of the Day

"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take away everything you have."

Senator Mitch McConnell, sounding very much like a conservative yesterday, speaking about the soft guidelines of the auto bailout.

Citizens of Floyd County Rejoice...For About Five Months

Congratulations. You did it. You filled the in boxes of the county council with your disgust for new taxes and they listened. Pat yourself on the back. Now shake it off and focus on the next battle. Rest assured the council will take this up again at their next available time...April 2009. Go ahead and get a jump on all those liberals and keep writing the powers that be. Good things happen when we stand together.

Here is the link to the Slurrier Journal article http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20081210/NEWS02/812100701/1025/NEWS02

Business as Usual in Illinois

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday and charged with carrying on the business of a long line of politicians from the state, conspiracy to benefit financially. When cuffed and given an explanation of the charges, the governor said "I earned that money." Not really, that is just me pondering his thoughts.

What really happened here was the governor offering up the U.S. Senate seat appointment to the highest bidder. According to the criminal complaint, Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Company, the owner of the Chicago Tribune and about a dozen other papers in the U.S., in the sale of Wrigley Field. In return for state assistance, he wanted members of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired. Strike two. He discussed getting appointments to boards along with his wife that would yield big checks with no work. And to put the cherry on top...he wanted an ambassadorship in the Obama administration once he left office. Strike three, you're out. He is also tied to Tony Rezko and Stuart Levine in the affidavit. Ok, that one gets you tossed from the game pal.

Blagojevich took the chief executive's office in 2003 by promising to clean up former Gov. George Ryan's mess. Ryan, a Republican, is serving a 6-year prison sentence after being convicted on racketeering and fraud. A decade-long investigation began with the sale of driver's licenses for bribes and led to the conviction of dozens of people who worked for Ryan when he was secretary of state and governor. See, Illinois is an equal opportunity state. Democrats and Republicans can co-exist in a plethora of greed and crime. Ahh, the Land of Lincoln today looks more like the land of Capone.

Genesis Predicts the Bailout

Genesis explains the bailout years before the corporate heads belly up to the bar in Washington. I am not talking about the Bible here folks. I am talking about the Phil Collins' Genesis. Way back in 1987 on the album "Invisible Touch" the song "Tonight,Tonight,Tonight" was released and made its way up the charts to number three in the U.S. Many of you thought is was a song about a man struggling with his addiction to drugs and meeting with his dealer, but oh no, you couldn't be farther from the truth. Phil was prophetically speaking about the bailout of businesses by the tax payers that would occur over twenty years later. You don't believe me? Well take a gander at these lyrics and decide for yourself.

"I got some money in my pocket, ( Congress)
about ready to burn
I don't remember where I got it, ( from Tax Payers )
I gotta get it to you
So please answer the phone,
cos I keep calling,
but you're never home
What am I gonna do

Tonight, tonight, tonight -
oh I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight - oh.

You keep telling me I've got everything,
you say I've got everything I want
You keep telling me you're gonna help me, ( AIG, GM, Fannie )
you're gonna help me, but you don't
But now I'm in too deep ( Big Three Automakers )
You see it's got me so that I just can't sleep

Oh get me out of here,
please get me out of here
Just help me I'll do anything, anything ( Including building cars that no one wants )
If you'll just help me get out of here.

That is pretty obvious to me. The part about "You keep telling me you are going to help me but you don't. Now I am in too deep" sounds like the Big Three Automakers, no?

This Phil Collins guy is like Nostradamus. I am now rifling through other songs to see what I can glean from them about America's financial future. I will report back as soon as I find something substantial.