Our Illinois Governors

Illinois Governors License Plate

Honoring our two latest Governors to be convicted. 

Wish we could do better on electing these guys.


Thanks to Taffy Cannon for forwarding.

Governor Blagojevich Convicted

A sad affair. Sad because it says volumes about our inability to select competent honest people to run our government. And we the people elected him not once but twice.


Smart and charismatic, Blago was the classic wheeler dealer who looked and sounded good. And a great reminder of the old maxim that. "Loose Lips Sink Ships".

"Stunned and nearly speechless after hearing the verdicts against him, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will wake up Tuesday to the stark reality that he is likely headed to federal prison within months, leaving behind his wife, two young daughters and comfortable home in a leafy Chicago neighborhood."

"A jury convicted him Monday on 17 charges, including trying to sell or trade President Barack Obama's old Senate seat and attempting to shake down executives for campaign cash. The convictions carry a combined maximum prison sentence of around 300 years, but legal experts say a federal judge is likely to send him away for around a decade, give or take a few years."

Click to Read the Story

The GOP Myth of Job-Killing Spending

Excellent article.and from the WSJ, "  The GOP Myth of 'Job-Killing'  Spending"

We have a very good chance that the Republicans will take over the Federal Government in 2012. And a very good chance that they will do what they are saying they will do which is to slash current spending and make our current economic malaise worse. Something like what President Hoover did in the Great Depression.

Let us hope that whoever gets in is smart enough not to cut spending until the economy is cooking again. And let's hope we are smart enough to elect someone who understands this.

Once the economy is back on track substantial cuts and/or tax increases must be implemented. Our politicians typically blame the other party for all financial ills. But there is blame enough for everyone.

Thanks to Taffy Cannon for sharing.








Click to read the article:

or copy and paste the following into your Web browser to access the sent link:

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926706797&pt=Y

Mitt Romney and Michele Bachman

Will Mitt Romney and Michele Bachman become the Republican Nominees for President and Vice President?


Romney is a straight arrow and a Harvard educated Lawyer and MBA. A very successful financial and corporate turn around guy. He led both private and public institutions including the State of Massachusetts and the 2002 Olympics. Spent 30 months as a Mormon missionary in France, of all places. Sixty four years old with no military experience.


Bachman also a lawyer and a Norwegian Lutheran, which of course is a good thing. (I am a recovering Norwegian Lutheran).


Both of them have numerous kids. 


Bachman does not have her web site up yet, which is odd. 




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney


http://www.mittromney.com/




http://www.michelebachmann.com/


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Bachmann




Romney has been in the public eye for a long time, so we know quite a lot about him. He is very moderate so not liked by the right of his party.


Bachman has not been around very long.  She says some odd things that get her in trouble. She has not learned to only stay on the campaign theme and only say the same vetted statements over and over.


They have a fairly good chance of getting the Republican nomination to challenge President Obama.

Now The Tea Party Has Gone Too Far!!

Sign in D.C.   

Oh no! not cuts to the Ministry of Magic!

Thanks to my Sister Anne Hullinger for sending.

Afghanistan - President Obama

Eugene Robinson writes an interesting article about
President Obama's decision to stay in Afghanistan. 
He thinks we should get out. I agree. I think the
President is vulnerable on this decision.

Why does the Afghanistan war go on?

"Some heard a declaration of victory, others an admission of defeat. The many contradictions in President Obama’s speech about Afghanistan Wednesday night were perhaps intended to obscure the bottom line: Tens of thousands of American troops will remain for at least three more years, some of them will be maimed or killed, and Obama offered no good reason why."

Click to  Read the article

You Get What You Pay For

Interesting Article on the Economist Blog about the influence of Talk Radio.

Talk-radio payola

Politics' new cash nexus

"RUSH LIMBAUGH loves the Heritage Foundation. Not only does he frequently cite its studies, he praises the institution as such. "Heritage is the gold standard", Mr Limbaugh has said. Sean Hannity is also a vocal Heritage fan. Mark Levin likes to talk up Americans for Prosperity, a conservative grassroots organising and advocacy group. For his part, Glenn Beck prefers Freedomworks. If you ask these popular right-wing talkers why they promote these groups on air, they'll tell you they believe in the work they do. Also, the pay's pretty good."

Click to Read More:

Great short video by Economist Robert Reich. He wants higher taxes for the rich. 


  


 http://tinyurl.com/6ez2chp

I am all for raising the taxes of all fat cats, which I define as anyone making more then me. But people in my bracket should have their taxes lowered, since we pay too much.

And in line with the conservatives, I think the poor should have their taxes raised also so they pay their share.
________________


Seriously, we must unfortunately raise taxes. Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security have to have more revenue. 


One of my conservative friends says that Reich fudged his numbers. I don't know about that, but rich folks pay most of their taxes on long term capital gains rates which are considerably lower then middle to high income tax rates. 


Raising taxes is distasteful, and often leads to an elected official losing his job. Unfortunately if they don't do this our country and the world faces serious long term financial ruin. So lets hope they eventually get it right - and raise taxes. And let us hope they raise the taxes on other people - not us.


Thanks to John Wason and Taffy Cannon for sharing.

Interesting Column by David Brooks

Excellent column by David Brooks

"I’ll be writing a lot about the presidential election over the next 16 months, but at the outset I would just like to remark that I’m opining on this whole campaign under protest. I’m registering a protest because for someone of my Hamiltonian/National Greatness perspective, the two parties contesting this election are unusually pathetic. Their programs are unusually unimaginative. Their policies are unusually incommensurate to the problem at hand."

"Covering this upcoming election is like covering a competition between two Soviet refrigerator companies, cold-war relics offering products that never change."

Click the link below to read the story:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/opinion/14brooks.html?hp

Bad News on Jobs

More bad news on the economic front.  I think any President gets more blame and credit then is deserved for national economic performance. Still, when you are the sitting President, you get punished when the economy falters. And America is getting pretty tired of this. If the economy does not turn around President Obama will likely be a one term President - not that I have heard many good ideas from the Republicans on how to improve the economy.
___________________

"NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- In yet another alarm bell of a weakening U.S. economy, the job market took a disappointing turn in May."


"The economy gained a mere 54,000 jobs in the month, a significant slowdown from 232,000 jobs added to payrolls in April, the government reported Friday."

Click to read the article

Obama expresses concern about slowing economy (AP)



"AP - With few options at hand and his poll numbers sagging, President Barack Obama expressed concern Tuesday about the sudden slowdown in the economy but said he is not worried about a second recession and the nation should "not panic.""



Good Column From David Brooks

Sometime this summer, the Democrats and the Republicans will go toe-to-toe over whether to raise the debt ceiling. At the height of the confrontation, President Obama may well address the country and say that even though he has offered the Republicans more than $1 trillion in spending cuts (unspecified), the Republicans have not been willing to compromise on a deal. He will then announce that, even without an agreement, the U.S. will still have enough money to continue payments to its creditors.


Click to read the rest of the story.