"Upsets!"

Last week-end we saw the New York Jets beat the San Diego Chargers in the NFL play-offs. To most of us who follow football would consider this an upset victory. At the beginning of the season the Chargers were one of the teams favored to be in the Super Bowl. In last years season the Jets failed to advance even with the acquisition of Bret Favre at quarterback, so little respect was given to the upstarts from New York. Mike Tyson, one of the most feared heavy-weight champions of all time was knocked out by Buster Douglas, in perhaps the greatest boxing upset in the history of the sport. Harry S. Truman defeated Thomas E. Dewey for president in what many believed would be the most sweeping victory in political history for the Republican Party. In 1984 the heavily favored Chicago Cubs, after two victory's, was swept away by the San Diego Padres in the NLCS, and were once again denied a chance at the World Series. If we learn anything from these events and events like them is that there are no "sure things", any team can be beaten, any politician can be defeated, any champion can be knocked out. When Cassius Clay fought Sonny Liston no one gave Clay a chance to win from a champion who destroyed Floyd Patterson like he was beating up a school girl, yet at the end we all remember the stunned outcome and the storied career of Muhammad Ali. All of the names I have mentioned thus far were people who were not supposed to win, yet they did. Determination and dedication are the keys to victory, perseverance through adversity is what makes champions. Today in Massachusetts there will be an election to fill the seat made vacant by the death of Ted Kennedy, not the seat belonging to Ted Kennedy, the seat belonging to the voters of Massachusetts. Scott Brown is the Republican candidate for senator, and to the great surprise of an extremely powerful Democratic machine in Massachusetts Mr. Brown is ahead in the polls. An amazing message is in the making for the Obama administration, the people are flexing their muscles at the polls. One year ago the democrats looked unbeatable, like Goliath, and the republicans looked small and weak, like David. David pulled off the upset of the Bible, he slew the giant. Now the giant stands before the people of Massachusetts, the tribal chief himself has come out to cheer on his giant toward victory; yet here stands "David" and the enemy shakes. America the wind is taking a great shift, the people are fed up with a one sided take it and like it government. A victory in the most liberal state of the union will be a shock to Washington, and could mean the demise of Obama-care. As we have seen upsets happen, victory is never guaranteed. Today history could be made in Massachusetts, and we could begin to take back America!

"A Man of Good Character"

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day across America, and I'm sure there will be many speeches made in honor of Dr. King praising his efforts in the civil rights movement, and I'm sure they are all well deserved as the actions of Dr. King showed America a part of itself that for a very long time was kept in the shadows, racial prejudice. When I was a young married man I earned my living as a semi-truck trailer loader for a large company in Chicago. The work was hard, mostly hand stacking floor to ceiling heavy motors steel racking and industrial size air conditioners and heating units. I was usually working a six day week, and twelve to fourteen hour days. We had twenty-seven loaders on my shift, all types of men from all types of backgrounds. It was there I met Otis; Otis was a black man about my age and that was where the similarity ended. At first glance Otis could scare the spots off a leopard, he was about six-two and around 225lbs. he wore motor-cycle boots and a leather vest, with a small knit cap. His arms were like tree-trunks and his shoulders could fill a door way, he was an imposing figure to say the least. Many of the men shyed away from Otis because his appearance was so overwhelming. We moved all around the shipping docks over the course of a work day from one trailer to another, therefore we always were working next to different men at any given time. Eventually I came to a point where I was working next to Otis, not being shy by nature I began to converse with him, mostly work talk at first, then we talked about life and the world in general. Being a wise guy I joked around and I saw Otis laugh, laughing is a great equalizer and Otis became one of my best friends in the plant. Although Otis was not eloquent in a literary sense he was very intelligent and a good judge of a man's character. He was a great chess player, and we played many games on our lunch breaks. At that time having a friend of another race wasn't too common and I received more than a few glances during our lunch hour chess games. Otis eventually moved on to a new job and we lost touch and I think of him periodically. He was fun to be around and when he smiled he went from an imposing giant to a five year old caught swiping cookies. When Dr. King said someday we will be able to judge a man by the content of his character instead of the color of his skin, I think of Otis and how much this was true. We can't legislate attitude, we can't force good character upon anyone; we can only try to do what Jesus told us to do two thousand years ago, "Love one another". I believe that is the message Dr. King was trying to get across to people. You see you can't cheat people if you love them, you can't harm people if you love them, and by attempting to follow that philosophy we need very little legislation to do the right thing. I wish everyone could have the experience I had with my friend Otis, the world would be a much better place. Let's spend today by honoring Dr. King by trying to follow the precepts he learned by reading his Bible, following the words of Jesus, and loving one another.

"Teflon Don?"

I'm a big fan of gangster movies and t.v. shows. I own all of the "Godfather" series and "Goodfellas", I also watch the "Soprano's" on A&E ( edited for language) regularly. Being of Italian descent I recognize many cultural similarities with my own family growing up. I didn't come from a Mafia family, yet we all knew what the Mafia was and who the local people were who were involved in that life. I attended school with the children of several Mafia associates. Contrary to popular opinion they were pretty normal, not mean or intimidating in any way, after all a dog will not dirty his own house. Any way what I found interesting about all of the film adaptions of the life of organized crime was how their influence was used to attain their goals. We all remember the phrase "Make him an offer he can't refuse", the veiled threat, the fist of iron in a velvet glove so to speak. When a deal was offered it was always first money, it was assumed it was easier to bribe then to bleed, plus the recipient then became an accomplice. Actually this is a very intelligent way to handle the situation, once you involve a person in an illegal deal you have him for life, he owes you, and you own him. There is much to be "learned" from the logic of the "Godfather". Yes America bribery works! We can now try to understand how the Obama administration works. Coming from the Chicago area I have seen first hand the manipulation of government through bribery and intimidation, and it is quite efficient. Barack Obama is a Chicago politician, and he has learned his trade from the best, Richy Daley, no one gets things done like he does. Strikes disappear, disagreements are non- existent, one way or another the rule of Daley goes on unquestioned. Accommodations are made, threats are used as needed, and the system rolls on. Now in Washington we are faced with a very similar "family" in charge. They have access to large amounts of money, and the power of the White House to impose whatever policy the "Godfather" wishes to implement. The latest force of will being pushed upon the American people is "Obama-care", and obvious bribery is rampant as votes are purchased to assure the passage of a bill the "Don" wants. Although there are no machine-gunned bodies laying prone in the streets, those who oppose the "family" have been attacked verbally, accused of racism, and being un-American, having personal attacks made against family members of those who voice dissent. Pressure, intimidation, and bribery; not exactly what we expect from the "highest office in America", yet this seems to be the new order of the day as Barack Obama presses forward in his "re-forming" of America. Is the United States of America under the thumb of a new "Don Corleone", a man who masks reason with deal making and intimidation? As a people should we roll over and accept a system that subverts our congress, that makes a mockery of all the principles that our founding fathers tried to establish? We must show the Obama administration that we will not be coerced, we will stand up! No amount of bribery, no personal attack will diminish the resolve of the American people in our quest to reclaim our nation from those who wish to steal the power of our republic from the people! Like John Gotti sooner or later corruption will be revealed and those involved will pay for their actions. Remember even the Mafia gets caught sometimes, there is no "Teflon Don" in the White House.

"Nightmare on Pennsylvania Avenue"

Jason, Freddy Kruger, Dracula, Michael Myers; the faces nightmares are made of, the creations of writers that have kept children awake with the lights on for many years.I, like many others, have been frightened by "creatures of the night" and I must admit it was fun to be scared by the Frankenstein Monster, and the Wolfman. It was fun because I knew it wasn't real, it was a safe way for a little boy to face monsters without any real threat. We have seen the likes of Professor Moriarty, Dr. No, and Hannibal Lechtor as new villains who give us that vicarious thrill of confronting a murderous threat. Unfortunately in real life we have seen actual threats that are more frightening because of their reality. Our fathers and grandfathers confronted Hitler, Hirohito, and Ho Chi Minn; men who wanted to threaten and destroy. Real threats aren't any fun, well unless they are posing a threat to those who are attempting to subvert or destroy things we hold dear! This week FOX NEWS announced the addition of Sara Palin to their staff, and no sooner was it done then the left has gone into attack mode. Ms. Palin is used to this barrage of insults and mis-statements which she has been dealing with since the last presidential election. NBC, CBS, and Comedy Central have already launched an assault on Ms. Palin. One must ask this question; why are the folks on the left so worried, what are they afraid of? Is Sara Palin so frightening that she merits a full scale frontal attack from all of the left's big guns? So, why is she so scary? My opinion is this, Sara Palin speaks in the same manner as any person on the street does, common sense, honest, blunt; without an agenda! My Lord, is it possible that the left fears the voice of the everyday American, the people down the street, the individuals who have been ignored by the Obama administration? Regardless of relentless insults and personal attacks Sara Palin has remained a popular voice to America's common man. If Ms. Palin was as ineffectual as the left has portrayed her to be why is there such a vehement attack being waged against her? The real perceived enemy of the left under attack here is "common sense America", those people who are against runaway spending, weak defense, and more unnecessary taxes to an already overburdened populous! Yes my fellow Americans we are the enemy! Anyone who holds up the mirror to the face of the Obama administration is an enemy, a threat, an open target to be separated and ostracized to the general public. The last thing the left wants is for the conservative movement in America to have a champion. This is a dangerous proposition for the left to face. Their strategy is to diminish the image of anyone of prominence of anyone willing to step out and lead those masses who have demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the present Washington power base. Yes America a 120 lb. lady is the greatest threat to the Obama administration at the present time. She is the "Jason, Michael Myers, and Wolfman" all rolled up into one for the liberals in this country today! It's time for Barack and his people to hide under the bed, SARA'S COMING, turn on those bedroom lights and start shaking. The truth is at the door!

" Smoke and Mirrors!"

How many of you like the show "America's Got Talent"? For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show it gives people from all walks of life a chance to showcase their hidden talents in hopes of winning one million dollars and a headline show in Las Vegas. The show is similar to "American Idol" with it's three judges and audience participation in choosing who will move on and who will not. Obviously most of the competition is composed of singers, everybody thinks they can sing, but there are other types of would be entertainers who participate. Dance troops, acrobats, magicians, dog acts, ventriloquists, and jugglers are also plentiful in their presence on the program. The days of variety shows have long past us by, Ed Sullivan, Gary Moore, and Jackie Gleason are names many of the younger generation would not recognize, yet at one time they were among the most powerful in show business. This new venue has recaptured some of the void left by the absence of the variety show. I always enjoyed magicians and jugglers, I guess it was their ability to use their hands to do many things at once dazzling the crowd with their speed which was so quick your eyes couldn't keep up with the action. Today there is an article in the news about how the administration of Barack Obama is re-defining the job recovery with some "different" methods to show job growth in today's damaged economy. Figures have been manipulated, statistics have been moved to change the standard by which job growth and "saved" jobs are calculated. In an atmosphere of rapidly falling polls and a dis-satisfied voters Barack Obama has decided to show off his talents of juggling and magic to the American people. Of course we have seen these talents revealed earlier by "Magic Barack", as he has explained away the lack of transparency of the "change we can believe in" since he took office. Just like any good magician Obama uses smoke and mirrors to fool and befuddle the audience, allowing his "lovely assistants" to distract the audience with false issues and imagined enemies, while the whole time he is performing his great acts of deception away from their watchful eyes. What happened in America in November of 2008? Did we elect a president or a traveling medicine show with a phony cure-all for America's problems? Juggling of numbers, manipulating statistics, distracting the public; are these the actions of a competent leader? The people of America deserve the truth, not a contrived scenario of lies and mis-statements constructed to hide the inadequacy of an administration that is in over it's head. We are the audience in this edition of "Barack's Got Talent", and it is up to us to see if he will continue on in his quest of " juggling and magic". As a member of the "audience" I am hoping that he will not move on, to continue to fool the people. We will get our chance to vote in November, let's not make a mistake!

"Are We Predictable?"

I don't often do an immediate follow-up on a blog, but today, after some reflection, I would like to say a little more about Harry Reid's comments in the now controversial book. As an American when I re-read this statement I must take it as a personal insult to all Americans, not only people of color. Mr.Reid's statement assumes that the American citizen must be presented a certain type of candidate, the right accent, the right skin-tone, a suitable demeanor, a homogenized candidate; pre-packaged and sell able product. How Mr. Obama is not upset by this is something I don't understand. The same nation that elected Abraham Lincoln, not a handsome man, to the White House is now characterized as a group who must have a "game show host" in the White House, because he has the proper accent, good looks, and is not too ethnic in persona. We have been pigeon-holed as a people, not only by the democrats but the republicans as well. Focus groups, poll takers, and the advertising industry have crunched numbers, and surveyed us into a type of "flock" that can be fed a certain type and we will follow that type with calculated programming. The racial overtones of Reid's statement were offensive, yet the arrogance that was suggested in describing Mr. Obama as an "acceptable" candidate was more offensive. By this suggested premise a person who was too "Jewish" or too "Italian" or any other racial or ethnic group would not be an acceptable candidate regardless of their qualifications or abilities. Although presently Harry Reid is currently under scrutiny he is not the only politician that feels the American people can be managed and herded like cattle into whichever direction they wish to move them. The founding fathers wanted a government that followed the will of the people, not a government that tried to control the people through a tactic of programmable response. As a society we must take some of the responsibility for our giving over our power to those who want control rather then govern. We have allowed others to tell us what to believe and accept, rather than finding out what we want by looking into issues and candidates. Men like Reid for too long have been pulling the strings of public opinion, putting a shadow over our choices. His attitude is now revealed as one of arrogance, a man who feels he can predict and manipulate; a controller. This is an indictment of our entire political system, a system that was originally designed to serve the populous, now a system that seems to be one determined to maintain power over the populous. It is my sincerest hope that this revelation is a wake up call for all Americans. We need to take America back, to show all politicians that they are serving at our pleasure and we will not be manipulated by those who would steal our freedom of choice. The next time any of us listen to a politician we must be on guard, don't be easily led or influenced. They have done their homework, we should do ours!

"Harry Reid, Byrds of a Feather!!"

Since the beginning of the Barack Obama administration any person who opposes a position of Obama has been branded un-American or a racist. This has become standard practice among "demoncrats" used in an attempt to separate honest dissenters from what people consider the "norm". A few years ago Trent Lott lost his position in congress because he made a remark at the 100th. birthday of Strom Thurmond's presidential bid fifty years earlier. It was an attempt to make a 100 year old man feel good and it cost Lott his career. Last week "Dingy" Harry Reid was caught with his pants down. In a new book Reid was quoted as saying Americans could accept Obama as a viable presidential candidate because he was "light-skinned, and spoke without a Negro dialect, unless he wanted to". Thus far there has been a deluge of comments from both parties over, some saying it was racist and others saying it was not a big deal. I'll let you guess which party said what.I don't know how many of you know the name Robert Byrd, he is the oldest senator in Washington, serving since 1959. Among the senate democrats he is known as an "elder statesman". As an elder in my church I am a man who must live a transparent and exemplary life, as I am supposed to set a standard for other members of our congregation. Senator Byrd, the "Elder" is a man with a very questionable past which the democrats happily ignore. At the age of 24 Mr. Byrd joined the Ku Klux Klan, he held the "offices" of Kleagle and Exalted Cyclops, obviously not just a flunky, but a member of some power and influence in the Klan. He is quoted as saying"I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side...Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimens from the wilds". Senator Byrd happily sits in the senate today, forgiven by his fellow democrats for his "faux paux" of previous years. Now we have Harry Reid again showing what is okay for democrats is different than what is okay for republicans. This hypocrisy among the democrats is enough to turn the stomachs of those of us who are tired of the labeling of honest dissenters as racists when they refuse to see the blatant racism that it tolerated in their own party. Mr. Obama has accepted Reid's apology with little comment. I wonder if an apology would be so freely accepted if this statement was made by a republican senator? The real man is the one who utters under his breath and in the privacy of close companions. Who is Harry Reid? Maybe he is the next "Elder Statesman"!