"With a Little Help From My Friends"

Because of my status as a senoir citizen in Illinois over the years I have been able to observe that most unusual animal , Illinois politics and the great statesmen in it's history . The latest political icon is former governor Rod Blagoiavich , now under indictment accused of trying to auction Barack Obama's vacant senate seat . The boyish Blago has stated when the truth comes out he will be vindicated , well let's wait and see , but federal prosecutors seldom move forward without pretty solid evidence . How about Dan Walker , another former governor who was a guest of the state after being found guilty of malfeasance in office , another great Illinois statesman . Now the most infamous Illinois politician has to be the late Paul Powell , at the time of his death as people were cleaning out his residence a virtual treasure trove was un-earthed , numerous shoe boxes were found containing millions of dollars in un-cashed checks . Back in the day checks were made payable directly to the secretary of state , not his office therefore all the checks were technically his , and I guess he thought that money was really his . People across the state were aghast , as Powell was lauded as one of Illinois' most ethical office holders . Nothing could be done about Powell's fraud because he fooled them all by dieing , thus avoiding prosecution , pretty sly on his part . Yesterday in Washington Charlie Rangel head of the powerful ways and means committee had his name brought forward for possible investigation on tax fraud and tax evasion . Rangel of New York has been accused of failure to report over $500,000 in income , plus income on offshore accounts , and unclaimed income on rental property . Rangel has tried to make light of this situation calling it an over-sight and he would look into it . Basically the powerful Democrat feels he is above the law , and guess what Nancy Pelosi feels the same way , she effectively quashed a congressional censure and a move to remove him as chair of the ways and means committee . I challenge President Obama to step in and show some character in this abhorrent example of looking the other way in a real question of integrity and legality in congressional partisanship . The political "Buddy System" doesn't speak well in an administration that touts transparency. Well this is surely transparent , it's an obvious cover-up of the mis-deeds of a political crony . During the election Rangel chanted " Who will save the world , Barack Obama !!". Well Mr. President will you , by your lack of action in this matter , save Charlie Rangel . Time to show America what your all about , taking care of your buddy's or taking care of America .

"Watch Dog Or Fox?"

I've had a few dogs in my life , I've loved them all . They were all house pets , not working dogs . I also had a friend who was a canine officer on the Chicago Police Dept. , his dog was named "King" , my friend was a devout Elvis fan so the name was a great fit for him . Canine police bring their dogs home with them after duty hours and will behave as a house dog unless ordered to go into duty mode . King knew his job and did it well . I delivered auto parts in my youth to body shops and junk yards , on several occasions I went to junk yards that had junk-yard dogs . Unlike King these dogs were flat out mean to anybody but the junk yard owner because he fed them. They were watch dogs meant to protect the property of the owner of the junk yard . Anybody that threatened the security of the owners property was in jeopardy no matter who it was . A watch dog that allowed a thief into the yard was useless and was not kept around very long . A chicken farmer usually has a dog around to keep the fox out of the hen house , a good farm dog is worth his weight in gold because he is protecting the lives of the farmer's flock . Now why am I spending so much time talking about dogs , well we have a new "czar" Kevin Jennings , the school safety czar. I have major concerns about Mr. Jennings . A few years ago when he was a high school advisor , a 15 year old student said that he was having relations with a male teacher at the school . Mr. Jennings advice was that the young boy use condoms! Mr. Jennings is a proponent of advancing the cause of "diversity" in all levels of education . There is a possibility of a connection between Jennings and the group called N.A.M.B.L.A. , the North American Man Boy Love Association , a notorious organization which promotes homosexual contact with young boys . What is Mr. Obama thinking by considering a person of ,to say the least , unusual opinions about sexual behavior , as the safety "czar" for our children ! If adults choose to live a homosexual life , this is America and they are free to do so , but , a child who's moral compass should be guided by his parents , should not be influenced by those who have a specific agenda of indoctrination to a lifestyle other than traditional America agrees with. I know Mr. Obama is trying to mend fences with his gay constituency , but this is beyond fence-mending . This decision is in total disregard of the opinions of main stream America , and shows an arrogance which cannot be tolerated. Any person with so many red flags in his past should not be considered in such an important position . Mr. Obama this dog can't hunt , this dog will let the fox in the hen house , this dog is rabid ! Mr. President let's not be political in this decision , let's protect our children instead , America will remember what you do here ; do the right thing !!

Are You In The Team Picture?

Every team I ever participated on took team pictures , from little league through high school wrestling . Most of us probably have these pictures somewhere tucked away in a box in your attic or closet along with other memories of times gone by . The difference between my little league picture and my wrestling picture is the demeanor of the players ,as young boy 9 or 10 years old we were ourselves , smiling , looking around , and generally doing what little kids do when left to their own devices . My wrestling picture is much different , we were given specific instructions on how we were to stand how to flex our muscles to make them appear larger and the expression on our faces , grim and menacing . Look like a team was the order of the day , and believe me if you had coach Grady you were not going to give any argument , where that man walked the grass stopped growing . We certainly looked like we meant business in our pictures and we did have a good team . Presenting an image was what is was all about , if we looked tough to the other teams we received a mental edge and any edge in contact sports is good . We had great uniforms , all black with a gold stripe down the leg of our tights , very dark and menacing , an edge. Sometimes an edge was not enough , sometimes the other team had more talent , and the dark uniforms , the menacing facial expressions , and a scary coach couldn't overcome the fact that they were a better team than us. Now where am I going with this , yesterday our president held a press conference at the White House to promote his health-care agenda . The rhetoric was the same script that he has been using throughout his quest for government provided insurance , but this time there was a difference , he surrounded himself with doctors. What I found to be so interesting was that all of the doctors had on lab-coats , how fortunate for the president that they all decided to wear them on the same day. Another fun fact about this is that the doctors belong to a group called " doctors for America " a group that was a campaign arm of the group " doctors for Obama" , how amazing is that. The part I have a problem with is the manipulation of the press , this was purported to be a non-partisan group , I have serious doubts this group could be called non-partisan. And the lab coats , really how theatrical can you get , this type of cheap manipulation is beneath the office of President of the United States . When Mr. Obama must rely on an orchestrated press conference filled with "ringers" to help sell his agenda then we must ask ourselves does this program have any real merit , if a program cannot stand up against any genuine scrutiny then it may not be a valid program . Mr. Obama you took a great team picture , but , it will take more then a nice photo-op to sell your plan . Why don't you let all the medical organizations into your press conferences . Do you fear an alternate view-point? All Americans want is a level and fair playing field on all important issues . Mr. Obama let's forget about team pictures and take on some tough questions about your programs , the American people deserve it !

It Ain't Funny Joe!

Did you ever make a statement that the moment it slipped out of your mouth you wished you could pull it back in ? I know I'm not alone in this , yet many people refuse to admit to these vocal mis-steps . Sometimes they can be quite humorous , Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley once said "this is the greatest country in the nation " and " The police are not here to promote rioting , they are here to preserve it. " Although he was not a great orator he managed to remain mayor until his death in 1976 , and has managed to pass the torch of leadership to his son Richie who also has a great command of verbiage nearly equal to his dad's. We now have some one who is just as entertaining in high office today.Who is it you ask , why it's Joe Biden , our vice-president and resident comic relief in the White House . I'll admit Joe does have a certain charm and likability about him , he's glib and smiley and knows how to work a crowd . As a man is he qualified to be a heart beat away from the presidency , well I have my own opinion in this matter . Joe graduated college 506th. in a class of 688 , not the brightest bulb on the tree , in law school he was accused of plagiarism , was allowed to retake the course and received an "F" which was miraculously removed from his records . This inauspicious collegiate record has to be of some concern to any of us who would prefer a brighter guy in case he would have to fill the most important seat in our government , to say nothing of leadership of the free world . Joe has said "We need to spend more money in order to stay out of debt." , and this unforgettable quote, " When president Roosevelt addressed the nation about the depression he got on television to let the whole nation know what his plans would be. " , not much on t.v. in the late 1930's. Is this the judgement we should pay alot of attention to? Joe made a statement yesterday about our troop strength in Afghanistan , he has recommended we should not send further troops to the area and begin a withdrawal from the area . Is it in the best interest of the American people to show weakness to the Taliban at a time when the middle-east is heating up to what may be Biblical proportions . I hope Mr. Obama will discount Joe's counsel in this vital matter of national security. I know the far left wants immediate withdrawal from all of our military commitments , but , this is no time for political pandering to his base supporters . We can't afford any political gaffes in this matter , please Mr. President don't listen to Joe this time the results may not be very funny especially for the people of America.

Wrestler or Boxer ?

I love sports , ask my wife or daughter , sometimes to their dismay I spend hours watching baseball , football , boxing , and yes , professional wrestling . Now the first three sports I watch are for the competition and the fight each participant puts forth to attain victory ; professional wrestling however I watch for a different reason , it's a soap-opera for men . The participants all know the outcome of the match before they enter the ring . The participants all do their best not to injure their opponents , as they may have to wrestle them the next day in another town . It's not that pro-wrestlers aren't athletes , it's they are not in a real competition , it's more like a show. Boxers on the other hand enter the ring with only one goal , to do whatever is necessary , within the rules , to secure victory even if it means beating your opponent to unconsciousness . Many people don't appreciate the art of boxing , yes it is an art . Not only do you have to beat your opponent physically , you have to beat him mentally ; become a ring general . Wrestlers work in concert with one another to provide a vicarious thrill for their audience without any real consequence , whereas a boxer also provides thrills with the possible consequence of grave injury or on some occasions even death . In today's world of international turmoil who are the wrestlers and who are the boxers . Some nations provide both types of leaders , Hugo Chavez is a wrestler to his own people , he has elections where he already knows the outcome before a single ballot is cast , yet those who oppose him know he will stop at nothing to insure that his will and his will only is imposed . We had Sadam Hussien who operated in the same way as Chavez , and would still be doing so had it not been for the United States efforts to deliver freedom to an oppressed people. Is the Iranian ruler Ahamadinejad a boxer or a wrestler, you can draw your own conclusions . He has admitted that he wants to remove Israel from the map of the middle east , he has admitted he wants to start the Muslim Holocaust , initiating the end of the Christian nations throughout the world , and now we find out about undisclosed uranium enrichment going on under the guise of power for domestic use . This was followed by long and short range missile testing . I believe Mr. Ahmadinejad is a boxer of deadly proportion and is willing to do anything to attain his goal , Muslim domination of the world through war both conventional and nuclear. A man like this will sit down at any negotiating table and put up a deceptive front to get his targets to drop their guard . President Obama , I believe , is too much of a dove to deal with a man like Ahmadinejad , and will take him as sincere in his negotiations . I hope Mr. Obama is not the wrestler in this scenario , because his adversary is not . Mr. Obama don't allow your opponent to lure you into a corner only to knock you out with a blow you didn't see coming . Remember it will not only be you that takes the count , it will be America , the middle-east and the rest of the free world!!

"The Way-Back Machine"

I grew up watching cartoons on t.v. every Saturday morning . One of my favorites was on the Rocky and Bullwinkle show , it was about a dog named Mr. Peabody and his little boy Sherman . They would normally travel back in time courtesy of the "way-back machine" a device for seeing into the past , and conversing with historical figures . I always thought wouldn't it be great to own a way-back machine , think of all the wrongs that could be made right , and all of the lies and mis-interpretations that could be cleared up . We all remember the statement " I did not have sexual relations with that woman " , boy I would really like to clear that one up , or " I'm not a crook " another statement that is open to wide interpretation . " I have no further territorial demands in eastern Europe " , that statement came from that bastion of truth Adolf Hitler after he annexed Sudetanland in 1938 . Throughout history we can follow numerous broken promises and lies given by world leaders , some were intended as valid statements , while others were used to purposely mislead and mis-direct . George H.W. Bush made this now famous statement " Read my lips no new taxes " , unfortunately that statement came back to haunt him and was instrumental in his bid for re-election , causing him to lose to Bill Clinton. Now lets take a ride on the way-back machine , way back in time to 2008 , we are at a Democrat Rally for Barack Obama , Mr. Obama approaches the podium and begins his speech , he comes to a key statement ;" No one making under $250,000 will pay any new taxes ", this statement met with cheers and applause by the throng of supporters . Now lets move a few months further into the campaign , another rally a similar speech , but not quite the same , " I will not raise taxes one anyone making $200,000 or less " , a little change from his previous statement. Now lets move along in our journey for truth recently the Obama administration has said it will not increase taxes on those making $150,000 a year or less. Now we have arrived at the present , what do we find , the proposed health-care plan has a penalty clause stating that those who don't wish to accept the government plan and choose not to carry insurance will receive a penalty of $1900 per year , plus the threat of incarceration . Some will say this is not a tax , but I'm afraid they would be wrong in this assumption ,it is an excise tax , a kind of punishment tax for doing something the government doesn't want you to do . Now what can we conclude from our trip on the "way-back machine" . Key statements made during the campaign don't match up with what is actually happening now that Mr. Obama sits in the Oval Office . We all heard ambiguous statements about "change ,and yes we can" , maybe the change Mr. Obama meant was the change he makes in his words to fit the situation he may be presently involved in . So far our president has been a man without definition , he changes as the wind blows . Perhaps Mr. Obama would like to take a ride on the "way-back machine" and make some changes we can believe in!!

" What Me Worry?"

Anyone growing up in the 50's and 60's must remember a fellow named Alfred E. Newman , he was the cover boy of MAD magazine. This bumbling mascot was famous for wandering clueless through life unaware of any real danger or threat that may be going on around him. He lived in the belief that everything would be okay no matter how grim the situation may look. This attitude was quite prominent during the 60's when sex ,drugs , and rock-n-roll was driving the pop culture of the day. As we moved into the 70's the drugs got more dangerous , the sex got deadly , and the rock-n-roll turned to disco ( a real disaster). We elected Jimmy Carter president , we had an energy crisis , and a problem with a rogue nation , Iran. The nation plunged into double digit unemployment and inflation was at record levels , yet , our president Jimmy Carter , moved along on a path of tax and spend that moved the country close to collapse.Jimmy Carter may be a very nice man , but , as a chief executive he was a complete disaster. During the hostage crisis he asked the U.N. for advice , and we all know how effective the U.N. is , then he tried a small scale rescue attempt which was almost humorous had it not been for the loss of life by American soldiers . Now lets flash forward to 2009 , we have the current world situation , a drug problem with methaphetamines , cocaine , and marijuana ; an energy problem ,we are practically a hostage to O.P.E.C. , the music our children listen to is laced with profanity and sexual innuendo . The most frightening parallel is the looming threat from a rogue nation Iran . We have a president who at this moment does not even want to impose sanctions against this very real danger that faces not only the middle east but the entire free world. It seems his major priorities are socialist health-care and getting the Olympics for the city of Chicago . Don't worry America everything will be okay! What is he thinking ! I've said in the past we need to pay attention to past history or we will repeat it , only with worse consequences. Mr. Obama flew to Denmark for a 45 minute meeting in an attempt to win the Olympics for his home town , while the Iranians are planning the demise of Israel ! Is it possible Obama is channeling Jimmy Carter ! We have more pressing issues then his pet projects or , watching him do guest shots on late night television shows . It seems that our current chief executive is living on another planet , he seems oblivious to the most important issues that he should hold foremost in his concern and priority. America what more can we expect from this man as he pays so little attention to a real crisis situation . Korea , Iran , who ? what ? huh? It'll be okay . What Me Worry?