Right on the Mark

Brotherly Love?

There was certainly no "brotherly love" for Hillary Clinton in last night's democratic debate held in Philadelphia. The debate was billed as Obama's coming out. He's been running neck & neck with Clinton in Iowa. But, Obama did not deliver. John Edwards, on the other hand, landed more than just a couple of glancing blows.

Today's headlines from The Politico & The Nation would have you believe that Clinton lost & Edwards won the debate. I'm not so sure that's true. It's true that Edwards hit hard showing Clinton is more of the same & that he's the candidate offering a real choice & contrast to the current administration. Of course Obama & Chris Dodd got a few shots as well as a few others. But, Clinton held strong. Never seemed to get ruffled but didn't really answer the critics either. Something she's gotten away with throughout this campaign thus far. Although, Tim Russert tried to pin her down on the issue of releasing the records of her official conversations with her husband during his time as president. Her defense was to blame Russert after the debate claiming he was unfair, unprofessional & belligerent.

The point of all that is that Clinton hasn't changed her approach. She side-steps questions, changes positions & panders to who she thinks is the target audience at the time. For some reason folks are either just waking up to it; or, they're getting tired of it. Did Clinton win or lose? Well, Chris Dodd pointed out that half the country will not vote for her. My guess is that number went unchanged after the debate. Those who love her will likely continue to support her & those who dislike her will likely continue the same path as well.

The question now is; did anyone else pick up steam? I suppose it depends on your political preference. Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Biden & Dodd all made good points why they should be the next president. Take your pick: the young idealist; the sweet talking southerner; the professional diplomat; & a couple of old timers with Washington experience. Sorry, but Kucinich thinks the debates are the floor of Congress where he finds it necessary to call for the impeachment of president Bush & V.P. Cheney. While there may be some support for such action; the people want to hear the candidates talk about the issues facing the next president; not revenge.

The bottom line is that Hillary Clinton is still the front runner. Until she's knocked off that perch she'll continue to take the brunt of the attacks. Whether they're coming from republicans or fellow democrats hoping to win their party's nomination.

 

Tied Up

There have been some great sound bites from the presidential debates. I'm sure as the primaries get closer the sound bites will have more teeth. Tonight, the democrats will hash out some of their differences in Philadelphia. I'm looking forward to it.

It's gotten hot between Ron Paul & pretty much the rest of the republican field; especially Rudy Giuliani. Fred Thompson blasted the notion that a lazy man could accomplish what he's done in his life. Dennis Kucinich became the butt of a leftist joke as he was the furthest to the left on stage as well as the issues.

A recent sound bite has become a political ad for John McCain. At a recent debate he lambasted Sen. Clinton for trying to spend one million dollars in tax payer money to fund a Woodstock Museum. I believe he may have struck a chord with America.

A Not So New Deal

Presidential candidate, John Edwards has got a New Deal for you. Is it really a good & feasible deal? Or, is it simply political pandering that has zero chance of ever passing & delivering the goods it promises?

Of course this "New Deal" language is in reference to the programs proposed by President Roosevelt as a result of the Great Depression. The problem is that many of the programs in the original New Deal were struck down as unconstitutional. Roosevelt even tried to stack the Supreme Court to get passage of his plans.

Social Security & the Securities and Exchange Commission are the two largest programs of the New Deal instituted & still exist today. Social Security has continued to expand & has become the focus of much political debate in the past decade. It appears that we will not likely be able to sustain such a program without extreme reform.

John Edwards, likely as a response to Sen. Clinton's proposals, has come up with a list of "New Deal" type programs:

• Edwards, a former Democratic senator from North Carolina, says the federal government should underwrite universal pre-kindergarten, create matching savings accounts for low-income people, mandate a minimum wage of $9.50 and provide a million new Section 8 housing vouchers for the poor. He also pledged to start a government-funded public higher education program called "College for Everyone."
• http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/FRONTPAGE/710260384

"College for Everyone." Doesn't that sound nice? Kind of sounds like No Child Left Behind & we all know what a disaster that's been. A $9.50 minimum wage sounds fantastic. It probably wouldn't cause much of a blip for major corporations. But, would likely kill many small businesses. Or, at least cause them to make severe cutbacks. And, matching savings accounts sounds pretty much the same as Sen. Clinton's federally funded 401K plan.

Beyond these proposals Edwards claims his top three priorities if elected would be to 1) end the war in Iraq (even though at one of the debates he wouldn't guarantee to have all American troops out of Iraq by 2013), 2) enact a universal healthcare plan, & 3) overhaul the American energy system.

Yeah, John Edwards is planning big for the presidency. More importantly, he's planning for an even bigger government. He claims we desperately need a president to call on Americans to show their character. Apparently the kind of character that would approve this hike in spending & the rise in taxes to pay for it. Even Mr. Edwards himself says "There are no free meals." And, how right he is.

I Have A Funny Bone To Pic

Even though these are cartoons, the truth in some of them probably isn't all that funny. However, if we don't take a moment to step back, take a deep breath & laugh about some of this then we just might end up like the loons these comics are poking a little fun at.

 

Trick or Treat Safety

I just happen to notice that tonight is Trick or Treat. It's scheduled from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. I just want to give folks a few tips.

Parents: for children younger than middle school escort them yourselves. Family/neighborhood groups are a fantastic idea. A few families working together to ensure the safety of their children makes for a great community. For children at the middle school age make sure you know who they'll be trick or treating with & ensure that there will be a group of them together. Even a chaperon may still be a good idea.

High school kids: you're too old for trick or treat. Maybe you could volunteer to chaperon your little brother or sister. Soaping windows, toilet-papering & the like are not responsible ways to spend trick or treat night.

Trick or Treaters: please wait until you get home to eat any candy. Let mom & dad check it out first. Never eat candy not in a wrapper or in a tampered wrapper.

Now for the really bad stuff. I've seen on the news that some communities are labeling the residences of sex offenders with signs telling trick or treaters "No Candy Here." Those offenders are to remain inside for the length of the trick or treat time unless their jobs require they be away from home. I don't know what Findlay has planned to ensure the safety of our children from this type of danger so I just wanted to warn people that even in Findlay, Ohio this danger does exist. You can check for names, addresses, convictions & the pictures of these offenders at the Family Watchdog website (type the city, state & zip code; click search & then just click the color coded squares on the map to bring up the information).

I hope this doesn't scare anyone away from having fun trick or treating. I just hope that everyone is vigilant in ensuring the safety of their children. Tonight should be enjoyable for our kids & should end with fond family memories. 

Blowin' In The "Santa Ana" Wind

There's been a lot of focus on the fires raging in California lately. There's talk about the reasons: Who or what's at fault? Because we all know someone or something has to be blamed. Is it global warming? Harry Reid seems to think so. Is it George W Bush's fault? Apparently Barbara Boxer thinks so. I'm here to tell you that it's neither.

Some have claimed it's the fault of the environmentalists who won't allow forest clean-up in fear of upsetting nature. On the surface this sounds like a logical answer because forest clean-up certainly would have averted this tragedy. Or, at least the extent of which we've witnessed on television.

First, you have to realize that the Santa Ana winds are a result of cooler temperatures in the desert. Second, President Bush doesn't control the Santa Ana winds. Third, while environmentalists may not want us to clean-up the forest of dead brush, that alone is not the cause for the tragedy. The Santa Ana winds have been blowing & causing fires for years; long before global warming, George W Bush & environmentalists. If this area was nothing but wilderness there would be no tragedy. But, it includes people & property. That's the tragedy.

All over this country we have folks living in floodplains, tornado alley, & now we see folks in direct line of the Santa Ana winds. It doesn't matter what natural disaster it is; folks who don't live in those affected areas always wonder why others continue to live there despite their first hand knowledge of previous tragedies.

I recall reading about the Santa Ana winds in some sort of magazine in class when I was in grade school. There was no talk of global warming, George W Bush or environmentalists. I don't believe fault was being placed on anyone or anything.

We will always be at the mercy of nature. No matter where you live there will likely come some sort of natural disaster. You insure yourself & your property. Then you pick up the pieces & start over. There will likely be an outpouring of help from fellow man as we are generally compelled to help those in need. I hope this doesn't come off sounding flippant, but I'm just trying to give a realistic view of the situation. It's not the end of the world. It's going to cost a lot of money but things will be rebuilt & life will eventually get back to normal. In the meantime maybe we can give to charities or relief funds instead of depending on the government for everything.

Focus on Findlay

Normally I cover national issues, politics & politicians. But, with a local election just around the corner I figured it was time to chime in.

Flag City Politico has done a fantastic job covering local politics. It's a shame that none of those running for City Council have answered the questions posed to them by FCP. I am extremely disappointed in my own representative, J. Michael Slough, for his failure to respond to the questions. While FCP has offered no analysis of the lack of response from any of the candidates, I will. It's rude & disrespectful & clearly shows that the average citizen of Findlay means nothing to them. Remember that when you step into the voting booth.

Today, I want to focus on the mayoral race. I watched the mayoral forum on channel 20 last night. I was impressed with Thomas Knopf. I even sent him an Email last night telling him so. Although, I failed to give him a little constructive criticism that I will offer here now. Mr. Knopf seemed too willing to go to voters on tough issues rather than make a command decision that an elected leader should be able to make. If the voters have already spoken on an issue; there's no need to go back to them again.

Being a conservative I find myself identifying mostly with republicans. However, not in this mayoral race. Pete Sehnert left me a little flat. While Mr. Knopf may be too willing to run to voters for answers on tough issues Mr. Sehnert was even less sure of himself. That's not really what I'm looking for in a leader.

Both candidates danced around certain questions. Seemingly not wanting to take an unpopular position. The estate tax is a prime example. But, there were differences in other areas. The Towne Center project showed a contrast in the candidates. You should check out The Vote blog to get a summary of the mayoral forum.

If either candidate wants to consider himself a conservative then they need to support the elimination of the estate tax. Findlay has done quite well in attracting business. It shows in our low unemployment rate. Besides attracting businesses to fill our many strip malls we also need to attract more industrial/manufacturing jobs. With all the industry we currently have, enticing a major railroad to set up shop here would be beneficial to those in need of work & to the city's bottom line. Do not support creating a new bureaucracy in a Port Authority. Or, a public transit system (I could just see it being called Findlay Area Rapid Transit). It just isn't needed in a town this size. I know years ago Findlay had a trolley system but, it didn't last for a reason.   

Those are just a few of the issues. Think about how you feel about the issues & find the candidate that shares your view. If on November 6th you're still not certain who the best candidate is, you can always write yourself in; or, me.  

T-Minus Sixty Minutes

The other day, I heard a hypothetical question posed on the radio. What would you do if there was an asteroid headed for earth & we only had one hour left before the entire earth & everything that inhabits it would be destroyed on impact? Would you do something crazy? Would you spend that time with loved ones? Your children or your significant other? Would you pray? Or, suddenly find Jesus?

Sometimes these hypothetical questions can be fun. They tell us what's important to us; well, kind of. They probably tell us more about what's currently on our minds. But, if you really take the time to search yourself you just might find something in yourself you didn't know was there. Maybe there would be no surprises for you.

For me, I'd likely spend that time with family in close proximity. Probably make a few phone calls to loved ones far away. And, without a doubt, pray for God's mercy. Politics would not likely be part of any of our conversations (which would be tough for me). I'm betting there'd be a lot of reflection. And, with my family, we'd probably be playing games.

My hope is that any differences would be set aside; whether it be in world affairs or personal relationships. I'm guessing we'd have a kinder, gentler world; even if only for an hour. 

The Man From Hope

I know, by now it's become a cliche. Of course we know Bill Clinton was from Hope, Arkansas & so is current presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee. I've watched him in the debates & just finished watching him on the Glenn Beck show. Every time I see & hear the man I am captivated by him. Like former president Clinton, Huckabee is from humble beginnings. Something that I believe connects him to Americans in a way other more privileged candidates aren't. And, like many of us, he has had his own battle with weight.

It's been reported that Huckabee is the true conservative in the race. He's been gaining ground on that premise. Some now have declared him a top tier candidate. A real alternative to Giulianni; the declared front runner.

Tonight I heard Huckabee speak to me. He said something like (I'm paraphrasing here): A country that cannot feed itself, fuel itself, & arm itself by producing it's own weapons is not free. But, has outsourced that freedom to those who produce what they need to survive. I agree 100%. He spoke about becoming energy independent. Securing our border. And, returning to our Jeffersonian Democracy that was preferred by our founders over Hamilton's Federalist view more than 200 years ago.

While the general election is a long way off, the primaries are just around the corner. I encourage you to take a good hard look at all the candidates. When narrowing down those candidates certainly Mike Huckabee should be atop any list of serious contenders.

Here In My Car

Gas & oil prices are up. American auto manufacturers, Ford & General Motors, are on the skids. Who knows what's up with Chrysler? And, Toyota is on the rise as well as other foreign auto makers. Union strikes, medical benefits & CEO pay & benefit packages are making news for the auto industry. What does the future hold?

The future isn't a DeLorean transformed into a time traveling machine. It's not flying to Spacely Sprocket for work in a bubble-top saucer either. We have two viable paths that are currently available. The Hybrid & the Flex-Fuel vehicle.

The advantage of the Hybrid vehicle is that you still use the same gasoline as other vehicles; you just use less of it. That puts more money in your pocket on a weekly basis. With gas prices as high as they are that savings is more than welcome. In the past, the electric car seemed like a futuristic dream. Today, you see more & more of them on the street. The most popular being the Toyota Prius. Here's a link listing Hybrid vehicles by make & year. Maybe you can find something you like.

The advantage of the Flex-Fuel vehicle is that it puts more money into our economy. We are currently building ethanol refineries which will put more people to work. To keep up with demand we'll need more output from American farmers. Flex-Fuel (E85) is 85% ethanol & only 15% gasoline & would greatly reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition website lists all models that are E85 compatible. You can even search your own VIN to see if your vehicle is compatible.

The greatest advantage, in my opinion, is that we move forward with both types of vehicles as well as testing out more; like hydrogen powered vehicles. I believe the more fuel options we have the better the market is for the consumer. Currently the advantage goes to the Hybrid because of the availability. E85 is still hard to find & our refining capabilities as well as ethanol producing grain yield isn't where it needs to be. You can search here to find E85 fuel stations.

We, the consumer, can move these technologies forward faster with our support. Yeah, that means go out & buy one of these vehicles. Until recently, it was primarily foreign auto makers in the alternative fuel market. Today, Ford & GM have the most Flex-Fuel vehicles available & are rising in the Hybrid market as well. I've been eying the Chevy Malibu Hybrid & the Chevy Impala Flex-Fuel. So the next time you find yourself in the market for a new vehicle, look to the future. You just may be helping your wallet, the economy & even the environment while shutting off that spigot in the Middle East.    

Promises, Promises

I want to take a moment & talk about the promises being made by Hillary Clinton so far in her campaign. I know it's still early & she hasn't officially gotten her party's nomination yet. Although, unless she does something really stupid it appears that she'll run away with it. I understand that during the primary season she has to cater to her base. Primarily the more liberal left. I wonder if she'll be able to get herself back towards the middle for the general election after making such promises.

First, she claims she can give us a federally funded healthcare system. Going as far as offering to us the same healthcare plan that Congress gets. Doesn't that sound just peachy? She also claims that she only has to raise taxes on the rich to pay for it. Of course, none of us consider ourselves rich so taxing them seems like a great idea. Plus those lazy rich folks don't deserve all that money anyway. Heck, Hillary is like a modern day Robin Hood; & who doesn't like Robin Hood?

Second, she's offering "baby bonds." Yeah, she wants to give every newborn $5,000.00. The plan is that at the time they reach 18 years old they'd have enough to pay for college. Although college would not be a requirement for collecting & spending the money. Five grand for every newborn: think about that for a moment. Even for illegals? That's another whole can of worms. How does Hillary plan on paying for it? Oh yeah, tax the rich.

Third, Hillary plans on a federally funded 401K account for every American with the government matching up to $1,000.00 per year. I guess for life. Again, the funding will come from taxing the rich.

All this sounds so nice unless you're rich. And, what does rich actually mean? Over $200,000.00 in yearly income? How about over $83,000.00 in yearly income? For singles; family? How many dependents? Since these promises are universal does this mean even the rich can collect on them? Or, will there be a maximum income that can qualify for such a benefit? Only those making less than $100,000.00 per year? Or, maybe less than $60,000.00 per year? Single; family; dependents?

As these promises grow how many more taxes will have to be raised? Would it leak into the middle class? How about taxing cigarettes, alcohol, junk food, etc.? With cigarette smoking on the decline it wouldn't be long before yet more taxes would have to be imposed. Eventually taxing the rich would mean taxing anyone with a job or property.

WooHoo!!! I'm rich! I'm rich!

Promises, promises. Can Hillary deliver on those promises? Or, are they nothing but empty promises?

Controversies

What makes some controversies get more coverage than others? Why do we grasp onto certain controversies but not others? We have all kinds of political controversies from all over the political spectrum.

Let's start with the most recent statement by Ron Paul. He claims that the United States has never been attacked in over 200 years. At the debate he's cheered. Giuliani's rebuke of Rep. Paul's assessment was also cheered. What does this mean? Do we like controversy with no regard for accuracy? The fact is that we've been attacked several times throughout our history. Even when being attacked by terrorists instead of a nation, make no mistake that there were nations in support of those attacks.

Then there's the Hillary Clinton fund raising controversy. While Norman Hsu has raised money for several candidates Hillary was the only one not wanting to give the money back. Instead she wanted to give it to charity. Sounds like a nice idea other than the fact that she'd still be indebted to Hsu for the funds. Not really what we want in a president.

How could we talk controversy without mentioning Larry Craig. Public restrooms make me nervous now. I never liked going in them to begin with. Here's my note to Mr. Craig: Hey moron, resign like you said you would.

This Place Rocks

"This place rocks" are the words of Senator Brownback during the debate last night. He was speaking of America. Instead of focusing on the negatives, he & a few other candidates tried to focus on the positive. While life in the United States isn't always completely rosy it also isn't completely downtrodden either. That's what I picked up last night & those are the candidates that have captured my attention.

Again, despite the support that Ron Paul seems to be gaining I'm uncertain the man is sane enough to run a household; let alone an entire country. Rudy Giuliani gave him another smack-down in debating issues of national security. While I don't think Rep. Paul has a chance to win he does make for a great lightening rod to find out the core beliefs of the other candidates. If he decides to run as an Independent or Libertarian he could become a presidential spoiler as it appears that Ross Perot was in 1992.

I agree wholeheartedly with Rep. Tancredo about border security but a one issue candidate will not win the nomination for either party & certainly not the general election. I think Duncan Hunter made another strong showing. But, it appears the media's focus is on fund raising & not the candidate's positions or understanding of the issues.

Fred Thompson was welcomed with a pot-shot aimed at him by Mitt Romney. Not so sure the reference to Thompson's role on Law & Order really hurt him though. Fred appeared calm & able to resolve any problem sent his way. There seemed to be something reassuring about Thompson. As if everything will be alright.

While it seems the democrats have rallied around their chosen nominee the republican race appears to be wide open. Do you think there might be room for yet one more late entry?

Speaking Of Random Thoughts

Being without a computer on a daily basis really throws me off. I no longer have the ability to just jump online at will to search or check out information. This definitely hinders my blog writing. Sure, I watch the news (primarily cable news) but you only get so much from a typical broadcast. I've always used the internet to search out & confirm or discredit what I've heard on the news; whether it be TV or radio. This week I'm finding myself having trouble focusing on a single issue. This may likely be the case until I buy a new computer. Until then; thanks mom for letting me use yours.

Today's blog title is in reference to Lisa Ward's blog (what do random thought get you?). After reading those random thoughts I figured I'd share my own.

I want to start by thanking Findlay Publishing & all those making the Virtual Village possible. Rebecca Conklin, Joy Brown & Ron Knopf, Jr. were fantastic representatives for our cause on WFIN. I enjoy this community & try to find time to read a little from everyone each week. Since this is a Virtual Village I'm hoping that doesn't make me the Virtual Idiot.

Random news is what fills my random thoughts. This week I saw that there have been elaborate tunnels coming from houses in Mexico going under the border leading illegals into the United States. Besides that, the fence they keep talking about is nothing more than a giant dotted line. So much for protecting our border.

Speaking of protection; we have the ability to protect ourselves from long-range missiles. A recent test has proved that the missile defense system previously laughed at as Star Wars can be effective. However, Russia's president Putin is still balking at the idea of us placing such a system in close proximity to his country. If we're supposed to be allies then why would a missile defense system appear to be a threat to Mr. Putin? Is he afraid that we'll discover that he & Russia aren't really the allies they've claimed to be? He's threatening a new arms race if we move forward with a system in Poland & the Czech Republic. Hence, a new Cold War as I've written about before. On top of that we have Iran on the verge of a long-range missile capable of reaching the U.S. by 2015. Iran has already been cozy with Russia & now, North Korea in working on said long-range missiles.

More Russian news --- Garry Kasparov is running for president of Russia. The long time chess champion has traded in his chess pieces for a chance to advance democracy in Russia. Former KGB agent Oleg Kalugin fears speaking out; as others who have seem to have ended up dead. The Litvinenko case is probably the most notable. Kasparov is quite outspoken against Putin & Kalugin believes that he may be next on the list to be eliminated. Maybe we should keep a watchful eye on that situation.

I don't know where Mr. Kasparov stands in his views on America but advancing democracy appears to a positive position that we might want to support. France opted for a pro-American candidate; Iran's current anti-American president isn't very well liked in his country & it appears that Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf (Mayor of Tehran & less hostile towards the U.S.) may be that country's next choice for president. Maybe, just maybe we aren't as hated around the world as much as some would have you believe. Not only is our election important but those happening around the world are as well.