"Surprise Party!!"

Do you like surprises? Some surprises are good, and some surprises are not so good. When I come home to find out my wife made me pasta and garlic bread, that is a GOOD surprise! When I come home and find out my kitchen sink is leaking, that is not a GOOD surprise.

My best friend lives in Chicago, and I only see him when I travel north, perhaps once or twice a year. We talk on the phone several times a year to catch up on our family’s goings on. Last year, I made a trip to Chicago to see my daughter and I said I wanted to surprise my buddy Phil. I set this up with Phil’s wife Bernie. I asked her to have him home at around 5:00 P.M. and I would call him on my cell phone as if I was calling him from my home. In reality, I would be standing outside his back door. While he was talking, I would ring the bell and he would have to answer and I would be standing there!

The plan went off like clockwork; first the phone call, then the door-bell, and then him opening the door with an expression that was worth a million dollars. His jaw dropped and then we laughed profusely for several minutes; Phil said “You really got me!” I think about that moment and it still makes me laugh; a well planned surprise!

I remember a surprise that wasn’t so good. I was about thirteen years old when my Dad said he wanted to see me in the basement; this was never a good sign. I grudgingly went down stairs as my Dad called me into his workshop. I approached him, and he said: ”What are these?” In my Dad’s hands were a pack of Camel cigarettes and a Playboy magazine. I felt a chill that could have frozen “hot magma” as I knew this was really bad! I didn’t catch a “whuppin’”, but I did get a lecture that was worse than any corporal punishment could have been about trust, responsibility and how my Mom felt. I didn’t touch another cigarette until I was out of high school; I can’t say I never looked at a Playboy again, but there was never one in my house again! I really got caught with that SURPRISE!

Last Thursday, Mitt Romney gave Barack Obama a pretty big surprise. The Obama campaign was going to have a press conference at the Massachusetts State House to criticize Romney’s leadership while he was the governor. David Axelrod was to be the spokesperson for Obama.

As Axelrod was beginning his address, some Romney supporters began chanting the word “SOLYNDRA!” repeatedly, and Mr. Axelrod became a bit uneasy and confused, as he didn’t expect this reception. Mr. Axelrod didn’t get a GOOD SURPRISE!

Mitt Romney took an entire press conference to the front door of the empty SOLYNDRA headquarters building. He proceeded to talk about how much taxpayer’s money was thrown away by this financial debacle ($535 million). He gave a ripping account of Obama’s inability to use taxpayer’s money in a wise manner. Democrats often say this can be linked to George Bush (not again), but in truth, the Bush Administration dismissed SOLYNDRA as a very bad investment with a huge possibility of financial failure, and funds were denied! That is part of the public record! For Barack Obama, Mitt Romney’s appearance at SOLYNDRA was a BAD SURPRISE!

This coming November, America needs to throw a “SURPRISE GOING AWAY PARTY” for Barack Obama; we can all cheer “Surprise, we’re sending you on a permanent vacation from Washington, GOOD-BYE!” (and good riddance).