"Plumber or Electrician?"

Did you ever seek advice from an expert about a problem? I used to watch my Dad whenever he did repairs around the house; I was fascinated by the way my Dad could do all of those different jobs that came up; it seemed Dad could fix anything! He had a workbench in our basement with numerous tools hanging on a peg-board. He told me, "Each tool has a specific use for each job; when you know what each tool does you will be able to make your repairs more easily." Whenever Dad was working on a home project, I was there standing close and asking a lot of questions, I'm sure there were times when Dad wished I would go and play somewhere, yet he always answered my questions with patience and good humor. My Dad had many friends who were tradesmen; plumbers, electricians and contractors. When my Dad ran into a problem he couldn't solve, he would try to consult a friend who was more knowledgeable in the field helpful to Dad's problem. My Dad had a friend named Rocco, he was a building contractor, and he was very successful. Rocco couldn't read or write, but he could tell you how to pour cement or build a wall with great expertise. Dad said Rocco could build something that would fit perfectly without being able to read a word; but he knew his business because his father was a master carpenter and he learned from his Dad. My Dad wouldn't call a plumber to do the job of an electrician; he would be smart, but not smart in the area that needed correction. Specific jobs call for specific skills.

Last week, I read an article saying that Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, was consulting Jon Stewart of the "Daily Show" for advice on the economy. I don't know about how you may feel about this, but I'm a little confused. Why is a Cabinet Member consulting a comedian about the state of our nation's economy, and discounting the opinion of the Republicans. A spokesman for Geithner, Steve Adamke, said "Jon Stewart is influential in America, so we took the opportunity for the two to meet and discuss the economy"; isn't this just a little disturbing? I believe Mr. Stewart is a talented humorist and does have influence over his audience, but I know nothing of his expertise in national or global economics.

We live in a nation filled with colleges and universities with numerous economics professors. We have numerous billion dollar corporations with "real world" economic experienced businessmen. We have millions of American housewives who regularly balance their home budgets. I believe all of those I have mentioned are more qualified to give economic advice than the host of a comedy show, regardless of his audience. Is this not "Pop Culture" gone wild? Mr. Geithner needs to get his advice from people who actually know what they are talking about!! When I read this, I said to myself : "It's no wonder this economy is in the shape it's in!"

Mr. Obama, you need to stop calling plumbers to do the job of electricians. Mr. Obama, your lack of experience is showing. Please call on those Americans that can actually help us out of this economic mess. We don't need "Comedy Central", this is NO JOKE!

"The Man in the Mirror!"

Do you like carnivals? I remember them touring the Chicago area when I was a kid. They had rides and games of chance that were practically impossible to win. Lights and "piped in music" were everywhere. As I walked through the carnival midway, there were mirrors that distorted one's image. You could have a huge head or a giant bottom, depending upon the mirror you chose. You could move your body up or down to change your image. You could be something you were not just by stepping in front of this mirror. It was fun changing my face and body; even though the image I saw wasn't really mine. At times, we color our childhood to make the image different than it was. We like to forget those things that weren't much fun, and we magnify those things that brought us pleasure; this is human nature. In today's life, we have a tendency to put our mistakes aside and focus on our triumphs and good decisions. There are times when we will even deny making poor choices to preserve our collective pride. The words "I don't remember doing that" is part of every one's dialogue at one time or another. We also say things like "Are you sure I said that?" We like to be winners: we like to be right all the time. We don't like to be caught on the losing side of anything; that is also human nature.

How many of you remember last summer? I remember the demonstration in front of the Capitol Building on the day that "Obamacare" was passed. Thousands of Americans stood outside urging our representatives not to pass this policy into law. Our representatives decided that they would choose to ignore those demonstrators and the polls that showed that 70% of Americans didn't want this bill passed. Last week, those same legislators found out that they should have paid more attention to the voters and less attention to agenda. I remember watching the health-care conference that Mr. Obama chaired. I remember him totally discounting every alternative that the Republican leadership proposed, and his insulting tone to John McCain, in a "school-boy" dressing down. He said at the close of that conference "I want something on my desk in the next four to six weeks", his tone was stern and dictatorial. We ended up with over 2000 pages nobody read and passed along party lines.

Last week, the mid-term election sent a message to this administration; "LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA!" After the results were finally in, Mr. Obama made a speech about cooperation, and how he has made an effort to be cooperative since he took over the Oval Office. As I listened to him speak, I was astounded; this President is the most partisan I've seen since Richard Nixon. From the White House all the way to Congress, an attitude of arrogance and disdain of the Republicans has been pervasive since "Day One" by virtually every Democrat in office. Closed doors have been the accepted practice over the last twenty months by this administration; cooperation has been non-existent because of deliberate Democrat exclusion of the Republican Party in all decisions. Now, it seems Mr. Obama perceives himself as the "Great Uniter"; honestly, I don't see that anywhere in his past actions.

I think Barack Obama is standing in front of that "carnival mirror" distorting his image to fit his perception of himself. You better get a new "mirror" Mr. President. America has seen you for who you are without the aid of that "CARNIVAL MIRROR"; we saw you, WARTS AND ALL!

"Intermission Time"

In 1956, I went to the "Bug" theatre on Damen Avenue in Chicago to see Cecil B. De Mille's production of "The Ten Commandments". I was nine years old, and it cost me 20 cents to get into the movies. This was a Saturday afternoon practice I had throughout my childhood. Back then, a child could walk to the movies alone and be safe. My grandmother, Nona, would give me food to take along; this was a typical Italian practice. Back then, you could bring food into a movie house and management didn't care. The theatre was always packed with kids; you would see everybody you knew. The thing I remember about this particular movie is: it wasn't the usual Saturday fare; not horror, or science-fiction or a western; it was about the bible. Due to the ignorance of my youth, I didn't know the bible was supposed to be boring. I found it easily as exciting as the other action genres I was accustomed to. It had armies fighting for the Pharaoh, a good guy, Moses, a bad guy, Ramses and the most "super" of all "super heroes", "GOD"! This was also the first movie I saw that had an intermission in it. The "Ten Commandments" was a long movie, yet it seemed to fly by. I was a bit surprised to have a movie stop in the middle; the lights went up and then there was a mass exodus to the bathrooms and concession stand. Many of us talked about the first half of the movie, and were anxious to see the second half. Could there be more action, more fighting, more cool effects; we were all excited to see what was coming next! I'll let you guys read the book, it was better than the movie!

Tuesday was the mid-term election, the halfway point of this current administration. Now, we are at "intermission time" as a nation. How has the first half of this "production" gone so far? We've had plenty of action on both sides of this "drama". Unemployment, health-care, and high government spending have been "center stage" for almost two years. Public demonstrations that rival those of epic films have filled our screens for many months. Americans have become participants in this "epic production", playing a major "role" in its unfolding plot. There are "good guys" and "bad guys" in this play; you decide who is who. Before we got to "intermission" we've had a chance to listen to all major "role players" give a final soliloquy. Americans are now out in the lobby, discussing where this "drama" will go next. Will the "king" yield to the invading "army"? Will the "generals" of those armies make any concessions available to the "king"? A lot of discussion during "intermission"!

In reality, this is not a movie: it's all about the direction of the United States of America for the next two years. We will now see what changes will be proposed, and who will be cooperative, and who will be obstructionists. It seems a clear message was sent to the administration on Tuesday; a change was called for by the American voter. "Intermission" is almost over, and America is waiting for "part two". Is our government ready for a "CLOSE UP"?

"Double Standard!"

When I was a little boy, just starting my love affair with baseball, I had a coach who taught me a valuable life lesson. I don't think it was his intention to do so, but I learned about "double standards" from Mr. "A". I remember the day I got my first official baseball uniform, "the Barons"; my eight year old heart raced as I ran to my bedroom to try it on. I stood in front of my mirror admiring my image, with thoughts of Mickey Mantle dancing through my young mind. My Dad and I practiced catching and hitting for a long time prior to my "debut" in a real uniform, on a real team. This was the maiden voyage of my new Eddie Matthews baseball glove, given to me by my favorite Uncle Sammy. Our first team practice was all about finding out who were the best players on the squad. We all took positions on the field, and I was on fire that day, making catch after catch, retrieving ground balls like a vacuum and throwing like a rocket. I took my place at the plate and hit like Ted Williams, not missing a pitch. When I returned to the bench, my fellow team mates all congratulated me on my performance at the plate with handshakes and smiles (back then, the high five hadn't been invented yet). I went home that afternoon with visions of being on the starting nine on opening day. Well, on "Opening Day" I was in for a rude awakening, Mr. A's son started in my position on the field. Paul was a nice guy, but he was a marginal ball player at best. The guys on the bench all were surprised to see me sitting while Paul started, and in private, they all told me I got cheated. I felt bad, I knew I should have been playing; but I wasn't the coach's son. My first experience with the "double standard", and I didn't like it!

Last week, I wrote about Juan Williams and his spurious firing from NPR . The firestorm resulting from his firing was amazing. Even some of the liberals came to his defense over his mild remarks made on the "O'Reilly Factor". The figure I heard was about 60 calls to NPR in protest of Williams' remarks on O'Reilly's show. O'Reilly usually has an audience in the millions; 60 calls in protest seem rather minimal; yet, they were enough to warrant the dismissal of Mr. Williams from NPR.

Bill Maher is one of my "favorite liberals". He has made a career of castigating the right as being haters, racists and neo-Nazis. His disdain of our Constitution is well known, and his dismissal of the intelligence of the American people is well documented. Last week, Mr. Maher made some statements about Muslims in our western civilization. Maher said, "(He felt no need to) apologize for being a proud Westerner....Muslim people are in these (Western) societies having babies at faster clip than non-Muslims." It seems Mr. Maher is alluding to a Muslim plot to populate the Western World with more and more Muslim children. I'm not a Muslim, yet I find this a very divisive and insulting statement, as I believe any American would. I'd like to ask HBO if they are considering any action over Mr. Maher's statement? I guess George Soros didn't give any money to HBO. When will the "main-stream media" start using equal coverage of those issues that are so similar in content they must be connected to one another. When will this double standard cease? I guess they need the permission of George to take action!

"Legendary Victory!"

I remember Super Bowl XX with very fond memories. My Chicago Bears were awesome; they ran over the hapless Patriots like a steamroller over an ant. Those poor Patriots were never in the game. Tony Eason, the Patriots starting quarterback, was running for his life from the first minute of play; there was no place to hide from the jaws of the Bears defense. Craig James, their star running back, was held to only two yards at half time. The score at the half was 23-3 in favor of the Bears; one announcer said if, it was a fight, they would stop it. In the second half, Steve Grogan took the heat as Eason couldn't continue. Grogan fared no better than his teammate; he was pummeled mercilessly by the wall of Bear defenders. All the while this defensive devastation was taking place, the Bears offense continued to score via turnovers and drives of the entire field; it was not a good day for the New England Patriots as the Bears scored a record 46 points allowing only 10 from the Pats. To this very day, defensive coaches use the '85 Bears as the defensive "gold standard". For an entire season, this team dominated the league in legendary fashion. I remember camera shots of the sidelines of numerous games where coaches stood vigorously drawing up play after play in an attempt to find some path to victory. Only the Miami Dolphins were able to keep the Bears from having a perfect season; the only "chink" in the Bear's armor. I still watch replays of those old Bears with fond memories; victory was sweet!

Yesterday, America spoke loudly. The Democrats were sent a message by the American electorate. Like the Bears defense, the American people said "We will not allow you to move any further!" The House of Representatives were taken back in unprecedented fashion. The Senate, although remaining Democrat controlled, was certainly rocked by several key victories by Republicans. Many states elected Republican governors, 17 in all, changed from the Dems. This is a serious message to all American politicians; it is beyond Washington, it is local as well.

I hope the Republicans don't get too enamored with themselves just yet. This was more about the will of the American people than party politics. Health-care shoved down the AMERICAN THROAT was a key issue in this election. Americans don't like to be forced into anything; ask King George about that. The people flexed their muscles yesterday, like those Bear linemen in 1985, and they knocked liberal policies to the turf.

I wonder what the "Quarter Back" will do now that his "game plan" seems to be failing? Will he adjust, or will he continue a "game plan" that won't hold up? Will he end up like Steve Grogan, knocked on his butt, pounding on the ground with clenched fists, like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum?

The "second half" has just started America; a new beginning for America; a chance to take our nation back from the brink of fiscal and philosophical disaster. I hope in the coming years, I can look back on this election as the "Super Bowl Moment" for the American people. GO TEAM, GO!!

"Blue Suit and Straw Hat"

When I was a very young boy, I remember my great uncle Salvatore getting all dressed up to go to the polls and cast his vote. He looked quite the "gent", all decked out with a suit and tie, in a crisp white shirt and his straw hat perched on his head. I asked him "Zio, where are you going?" He replied to me, "I go to vote for Presidente of the United States today!" He was very proud as he walked out of the house that day; it was a great honor to be able to have a voice in the choosing of our nation's leader. Mom would go across the street to the grade school, while our upstairs neighbor, Mrs. Garrity, watched us until her return. My Dad was usually a little late coming home on Election Day; he would stop to vote on his way home from work, so our dinner was a little late that night. I don't know if it was just me, but it seemed that Dad was always a little happier after he voted. My Dad was in the service during WWII, as were all of my uncles on both sides of our family; they really understood the cost of freedom and the gift of a self- determining government of the people. I remember sitting in front of our black and white television watching the election returns. Back then, it was Edward R. Murrow and John Cameron Swazey who gave America election commentary; and America couldn't get enough of it.

Since the conception of America, we have had the privilege of voting for our leaders. Not many other nations have a system as free as ours. The precious right to vote should be guarded with all of the fervor our judicial system can muster. This year, as in previous years, we have heard rumors of voter fraud. Bus loads of people brought to polling places, given different types of "gifts", and told for whom to vote! We always hear about the voting "dead"; Cook County is famous for that constituency. As Americans, we all should be aware of these attempts to steal our process. No person has the right to intimidate or unfairly influence any voter, in any election. I hope our election judges are on their toes today. I got up at five A.M. today; I was at the polls at six A.M., I was third in line behind an older man and my lovely wife. Like my Dad I, felt happy when I walked out of the voting booth. I felt privileged to live in America.

I didn't put on a blue suit this morning, or a fine straw hat; but I did puff out my chest a bit, and pull back my shoulders. We are a fortunate people; we get to vote! Regardless of your preference, I urge everyone to vote today. America; there is no other place like it; love it and guard it, so we don't lose it! GOD BLESS OUR GREAT NATION!

"The Fuller Brush Man"

How many of you remember door-to-door salesmen? When I was a little boy, I remember the "Fuller Brush Man" calling on us during the day; his sample case holding numerous brushes for every purpose imaginable. I remember the salesman from Encyclopedia Britannica showing my mother the wonders of having this treasure of knowledge available in your own home. I recall a bible salesman who came to our house with this beautiful white bible that had a gold cross in the center of the front cover; Mom bought that. Way back when, door-to-door sales was a common practice; more wives were at home during the day and they had great purchasing power. The salesmen were all well groomed fellows, with a personable attitude and a dark blue suit; they were like clones of one another.

Today, I have a "no solicitors" sign on my front door. I don't like door-to-door sales as much as I did when I was a kid. I guess now that I'm the target, it isn't such an event to have a stranger come into my home and try to get my money! I'm also a lot more wary of people now than way back then; you never know what people are up to when they knock on the door today. I am suspicious of uninvited "visitors". I don't really know them, or what their motivation is.

It seems that George Soros, the TIDES FOUNDATION and some unions are employing criminal illegal aliens to go door-to-door campaigning for Democratic candidates. A spokesperson for OneAmerica Votes, Pramila Jayapal, said "The campaign is about empowering (illegal) immigrants who feel they cannot contribute to the campaign because they can't vote." Jayapal also said,"(illegal) immigrants really do matter, if we can't vote ourselves, we're gonna knock on doors, or get family members to vote." OneAmerica Vote receives funds from George Soros organization, the Open Society Institute, Planned Parenthood, SEIU, the TIDES FOUNDATION and several other leftist organizations. Criminal illegal aliens have no place in America's election process! This is a sinister agenda from a leftist demi-god, and his puppet organizations to steal the democratic process from the American citizenry. We have seen the results of voter intimidation in the last election by "New Black Panthers" in the 2008 election, wielding weapons in front of a polling place. This is more insidious than those "Black Panthers". This is a direct invasion into our political system, knocking at your door!

Illegal immigration is a huge issue today. It is an American decision, not a decision which should be made by those who wish to invade our nation.

Tomorrow, the people of America will go to the polls for our mid-term elections. Perhaps, this is the most important mid-term in American history; it will dictate the direction of America for a very long time. We must ask ourselves; "Who will direct America?" "Who will influence our votes?"Be careful of that door-to-door salesman America, he may be selling you something you don't really want!