Where Does the Buck Stop?

Last night we heard the President of the United States once again take to the microphone and lecture us about the debt crisis. While I listened very carefully to what he said, I was saddened. It was little different from many speeches he has given recently with no plan, no new information, and very little truth.

There was a time in America when we were proud of the leader of our country. There was a time when, rightly or wrongly, we trusted what he said. There was a time when we could tell our children to be inspired by his words, to look up to him and aspire to the quality of his character.

It is no longer that time. Our country has a serious problem. We are spending our children into indentured servitude, slavery as it were. We are digging for them a hole from which they will find it impossible to extract themselves. Everyone knows this, it is self-evident.

A man with integrity, with strength of character, a man of leadership, would take bold action. He would acknowledge the elephant in the room and recognize that when one finds one's self at the bottom of a deep hole, the wise course is to stop digging.

What did we hear from our President last night? First of all, blame Bush. Nothing new here. Second, scare people. He once again threatened senior citizens by offering to withhold their Social Security checks. The problem is that threat is an outright lie, and designed only to maintain a hold on his power, and to urge us to let him make the hole deeper with a backhoe, rather than a shovel. How am I to teach my daughter the value of honesty when the President of the United States knows very well that he cannot stop the Social Security payments, even if he wanted to. There are 2.6 trillion dollars of treasury notes in the Social Security trust fund. Those treasury notes are already there, and are not affected by the debt ceiling. Mr. Obama knows that they can be negotiated in order to pay our seniors, and that the law requires him to do so.

He threatens default on our debt, when he also knows full well that there is more than enough money coming into the treasury on a monthly basis to service our debt, pay our soldiers, and cover our most pressing obligations.

There is no integrity in this man. He is concerned with his own political future, period. How can I point to the Office of the President of The United States, and tell my daughter how great this country is? How can I talk about the principals which made America the most desirable place in the world to live, when we have such a blatant ego-maniacal liar for our leader?

He has offered no plan. He has obstructed every sensible plan offered. He has stood squarely in front of every effort of business to grow our economy, from denying permits for oil and coal exploration, to blocking manufacturing plant expansion, to taxing tanning salons out of business.

So we should hand him a larger shovel, a mechanized shovel with which to bury us and our posterity? Should we allow this man to heap further debt upon the heads of our children while continuing to limit their opportunities for the future? Should we sell our children into never ending servitude to a government whose leader cannot muster up the intellectual honesty to admit he might be wrong about anything?

I say NO! I say not while I still have the ability to speak for the lovely young woman who is my daughter! This is my country. I earned the money the federal leviathan extracts from my pocket every two weeks. It is NOT your money Mr. President. I do NOT agree to make the payments on the debt you wish to incur on behalf of my daughter and me. Many brave souls gave their lives to extract themselves and their descendants from the yoke of Tyranny and if it becomes necessary, many more will. If the buck will not stop with you Mr. President, then I say the buck stops here, with me and mine!

Shame on You President Obama!

What part of out of money, and live within your means do the Democrats and Barrack Obama not understand. They whine and complain that we need to reach an agreement, when the House of Representatives have already done the job they were sent to Washington to do, Cut, Cap and Balance.

Does Harry Reid REALLY think we the people are that stupid? While Highwayman Harry cries over the possible loss of federal funds for his beloved Cowboy Poetry festival, and Barrack Obama refuses to rescind the 53 Billion Dollars promised to his buddy Jeff Immelt at GE to build High Speed Rail no one will ride, Rome is on fire.

I feel compelled to remind everyone that in 2006 Barrack Obama himself said, "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."

You are right Mr. President, we do deserve better, and the lack of leadership is squarely in your corner. The GOP in the House have done their job, you just don't like it. You and Highwayman Harry would much rather enslave our children under a mountain of unspeakable debt than swallow a little pride, admit your policies haven't worked, and accept a deal to pull our beloved nation back from the brink of disaster.

Shame on you Mr. President. Shame on you Mr Reid. We know. We the American public, know that like Nero, you are fiddling while the Nation burns. We know you would prefer to burden our children and grandchildren with the yoke of bondage to the Federal Leviathan for generations to come, you would gladly hand our country over to our advisories than act responsibly. You do not fool us.

When the country crumbles under the weight of your massive increases in spending over the last two and a half years, we WILL hold you responsible. We know it is only your ego and childish insistence on having your own way for political reasons which will lead the country to ruin.

Shame on you Mr. Obama, Shame on your house!

President & US Senate Support Slavery of our Children!

That may sound like a provocative headline, and it is, but it is also the truth! Our current debt is $14.519 Trillion. That means my 12 year old daughter's share of that is currently $46,564.00. Add in the current unfunded liabilities of $114,751,918,000,000.00 and her share of the national debt plus unfunded liabilities for Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare is $414,583.72 or $1862.00 per month every month for THIRTY years. On top of that the US Senate and President Obama want to add an additional 2.4 Trillion dollars which, under the McConnell plan, have no spending cuts associated with it, and under the Gang (appropriate name for what they are trying to do) of Six plan nobody knows.

Assuming we stopped borrowing right now, and my daughter could get a job right out of high school making $40,000.00 per year, she would already owe her entire take home salary to the government. She did not vote for these debts. She did nothing to create them, yet there she is at twelve years old owing the Slave Owners in Washington nearly a half-million dollars. You owe that much too!

We are all rapidly becoming enduntured servants of the leviathan we call our government. It has long ago ceased to be a governemnt of the people, for the people and by the people. It has become instead a government of the career politician, for the career politician and his friends, and by the lobbyist and government dole recipient. Unfortunately soon there will be no producers left to feed the insatiable appetite of the gluttonous belly of the political beast in Washington DC.

So yes, the President and the US Senate, by refusing to support the cut, cap and balance plan which passed the House of Representatives last night, and offers a real chance to start to get a handle on our spending problem, are de-facto showing themselves to be in favor of enslaving our children and grandchildren now and long into the future.

It is time to stop the practice of making slaves out of ourselves and our children. It is time to stop NOW. We are the governors of this country, not the lazy, cowardly career politicians in DC. Let them know. Let them know that if they do not free your children from the yoke of bondage now, they will be sent home to labor under that very same yoke themselves. It is YOUR country, YOU can make a difference. You have until Saturday, and then it too late.

Stop the Senate from Handing a Blank Check to Obama!

Well, folks, I am sorry to report that the fix is in. The Senate, in back room dealing, appears to be prepared to hand President Obama a blank check to spend our children's as of yet unearned money any way he pleases, to the tune of an additional 2.5 TRILLION dollars.

I listened to John McCain yesterday on the Sean Hannity show, and he all but said as much! Mr. Hannity was asking repeatedly about cut, cap and balance, and McCain said he was going to fight for it, but then consistently argued for the McConnell plan. He barley gave lip service to cut, cap and balance, and got angry when Hannity pressed him about the McConnell plan. McCain said it was a last resort, but then continued over and over again to argue it's merits. Heaven help us!

In making my calls to Senate offices yesterday afternoon, my impression did not change. Republican staffers with whom I spoke, seemed to be hedging when I brought up the McConnell plan and my opposition to it. The Democrats staffers just gave me the “yeah, yeah I'll pass your message on” routine.

McCain told Hannity that his office had been flooded with calls from seniors who were frightened by the Obamascare campaign. The fact that the Administration could not stop social security checks from going out, even if they wanted to, because of the way the Social Security Administration's computers are programed, didn't get in McCain's way. Our only course has to be action!

If these Senators' offices are overwhelmed with calls from concerned citizens like you and me, we might have a slim chance of beginning to free our children from the slavery and tyranny being foisted upon them by our so-called representatives.

Given the fact that ICE is busily shutting down blogs and seizing domain names, I don't know how long we will have the opportunity to speak in opposition to this Administration's ongoing power grab and usurpation of the rights with which we were endowed by our creator!

I urge anyone who is interested in freedom, in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to call as many Senators as possible and voice strong opposition to Senator McConnell's plan to hand over a blank check to the President, so he can spend as many of our children's hard earned dollars as he chooses! Do it today! Do it now! Time is running out for our beloved nation!

Akaka, Daniel K. - (D - HI)

(202) 224-6361

Web Form: akaka.senate.gov/email-senator-akaka.cfm

Alexander, Lamar - (R - TN)

(202) 224-4944

Web Form: alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email

Ayotte, Kelly - (R - NH)

(202) 224-3324

Web Form: ayotte.senate.gov/?p=contact

Barrasso, John - (R - WY)

(202) 224-6441

Web Form: barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs...

Baucus, Max - (D - MT)

(202) 224-2651

Web Form: baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue

Begich, Mark - (D - AK)

(202) 224-3004

Web Form: begich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=EmailSenator

Bennet, Michael F. - (D - CO)

(202) 224-5852

Web Form: bennet.senate.gov/contact/

Bingaman, Jeff - (D - NM)

(202) 224-5521

Web Form: bingaman.senate.gov/contact/

Blumenthal, Richard - (D - CT)

(202) 224-2823

Web Form: blumenthal.senate.gov/contact/

Blunt, Roy - (R - MO)

(202) 224-5721

Web Form: blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Boozman, John - (R - AR)

(202) 224-4843

Web Form: boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me

Boxer, Barbara - (D - CA)

(202) 224-3553

Web Form: boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/

Brown, Scott P. - (R - MA)

(202) 224-4543

Web Form: scottbrown.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailscottbrown

Brown, Sherrod - (D - OH)

(202) 224-2315

Web Form: brown.senate.gov/contact/

Burr, Richard - (R - NC)

(202) 224-3154

Web Form: burr.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Conta...

Cantwell, Maria - (D - WA)

(202) 224-3441

Web Form: cantwell.senate.gov/contact/

Cardin, Benjamin L. - (D - MD)

(202) 224-4524

Web Form: cardin.senate.gov/contact/

Carper, Thomas R. - (D - DE)

(202) 224-2441

Web Form: carper.senate.gov/contact/

Casey, Robert P., Jr. - (D - PA)

(202) 224-6324

Web Form: casey.senate.gov/contact/

Chambliss, Saxby - (R - GA)

(202) 224-3521

Web Form: chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email

Coats, Daniel - (R - IN)

(202) 224-5623

Web Form: coats.senate.gov/contact/

Coburn, Tom - (R - OK)

(202) 224-5754

Web Form: coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactsenatorcoburn?p...

Cochran, Thad - (R - MS)

(202) 224-5054

Web Form: cochran.senate.gov/email.html

Collins, Susan M. - (R - ME)

(202) 224-2523

Web Form: collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=Contact...

Conrad, Kent - (D - ND)

(202) 224-2043

Web Form: conrad.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm

Coons, Christopher A. - (D - DE)

(202) 224-5042

Web Form: coons.senate.gov/contact/

Corker, Bob - (R - TN)

(202) 224-3344

Web Form: corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactMe

Cornyn, John - (R - TX)

(202) 224-2934

Web Form: cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm

Crapo, Mike - (R - ID)

(202) 224-6142

Web Form: crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

DeMint, Jim - (R - SC)

(202) 224-6121

Web Form: demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactInformation

Durbin, Richard J. - (D - IL)

(202) 224-2152

Web Form: durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Enzi, Michael B. - (R - WY)

(202) 224-3424

Web Form: enzi.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=e-mail-senator...

Feinstein, Dianne - (D - CA)

(202) 224-3841

Web Form: feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactU...

Franken, Al - (D - MN)

(202) 224-5641

Web Form: franken.senate.gov/?p=contact

Gillibrand, Kirsten E. - (D - NY)

(202) 224-4451

Web Form: gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/

Graham, Lindsey - (R - SC)

(202) 224-5972

Web Form: lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Em...

Grassley, Chuck - (R - IA)

(202) 224-3744

Web Form: grassley.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Hagan, Kay R. - (D - NC)

(202) 224-6342

Web Form: hagan.senate.gov/?p=contact

Harkin, Tom - (D - IA)

(202) 224-3254

Web Form: harkin.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Hatch, Orrin G. - (R - UT)

(202) 224-5251

Web Form: hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=Email-Orrin

Heller, Dean - (R - NV)

(202) 224-6244

Web Form: heller.senate.gov/contact_form.cfm

Hoeven, John - (R - ND)

(202) 224-2551

Web Form: hoeven.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-the-senator

Hutchison, Kay Bailey - (R - TX)

(202) 224-5922

Web Form: hutchison.senate.gov/?p=email_kay

Inhofe, James M. - (R - OK)

(202) 224-4721

Web Form: inhofe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Con...

Inouye, Daniel K. - (D - HI)

(202) 224-3934

Web Form: inouye.senate.gov/Contact/ContactDKI.cfm

Isakson, Johnny - (R - GA)

(202) 224-3643

Web Form: isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Johanns, Mike - (R - NE)

(202) 224-4224

Web Form: johanns.senate.gov/public/?p=ContactSenatorJohanns

Johnson, Ron - (R - WI)

(202) 224-5323

Web Form: ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Johnson, Tim - (D - SD)

(202) 224-5842

Web Form: johnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact

Kerry, John F. - (D - MA)

(202) 224-2742

Web Form: kerry.senate.gov/contact/

Kirk, Mark - (R - IL)

(202) 224-2854

Web Form: kirk.senate.gov/?p=contact

Klobuchar, Amy - (D - MN)

(202) 224-3244

Web Form: klobuchar.senate.gov/emailamy.cfm

Kohl, Herb - (D - WI)

(202) 224-5653

Web Form: kohl.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Kyl, Jon - (R - AZ)

(202) 224-4521

Web Form: kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Landrieu, Mary L. - (D - LA)

(202) 224-5824

Web Form: landrieu.senate.gov/about/contact.cfm

Lautenberg, Frank R. - (D - NJ)

(202) 224-3224

Web Form: lautenberg.senate.gov/contact/routing.cfm

Leahy, Patrick J. - (D - VT)

(202) 224-4242

Web Form: leahy.senate.gov/contact/

Lee, Mike - (R - UT)

(202) 224-5444

Web Form: lee.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Levin, Carl - (D - MI)

(202) 224-6221

Web Form: levin.senate.gov/contact/

Lieberman, Joseph I. - (ID - CT)

(202) 224-4041

Web Form: lieberman.senate.gov/index.cfm/contact/email-me-about-an-...

Lugar, Richard G. - (R - IN)

(202) 224-4814

Web Form: lugar.senate.gov/contact/

Manchin, Joe, III - (D - WV)

303 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3954

Web Form: manchin.senate.gov/contact_form.cfm

McCain, John - (R - AZ)

(202) 224-2235

Web Form: mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Con...

McCaskill, Claire - (D - MO)

(202) 224-6154

Web Form: mccaskill.senate.gov/?p=contact

McConnell, Mitch - (R - KY)

(202) 224-2541

Web Form: www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=contact

Menendez, Robert - (D - NJ)

(202) 224-4744

Web Form: menendez.senate.gov/contact/

Merkley, Jeff - (D - OR)

(202) 224-3753

Web Form: merkley.senate.gov/contact/

Mikulski, Barbara A. - (D - MD)

(202) 224-4654

Web Form: mikulski.senate.gov/contact/

Moran, Jerry - (R - KS)

(202) 224-6521

Web Form: moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=e-mail-jerry

Murkowski, Lisa - (R - AK)

(202) 224-6665

Web Form: murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact

Murray, Patty - (D - WA)

(202) 224-2621

Web Form: murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm

Nelson, Ben - (D - NE)

(202) 224-6551

Web Form: bennelson.senate.gov/contact-me.cfm

Nelson, Bill - (D - FL)

(202) 224-5274

Web Form: billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Paul, Rand - (R - KY)

(202) 224-4343

Web Form: paul.senate.gov/?p=contact

Portman, Rob - (R - OH)

(202) 224-3353

Web Form: portman.senate.gov/contact_form.cfm

Pryor, Mark L. - (D - AR)

(202) 224-2353

Web Form: pryor.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactMe

Reed, Jack - (D - RI)

(202) 224-4642

Web Form: reed.senate.gov/contact/contact-share.cfm

Reid, Harry - (D - NV)

(202) 224-3542

Web Form: reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Risch, James E. - (R - ID)

(202) 224-2752

Web Form: risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email

Roberts, Pat - (R - KS)

(202) 224-4774

Web Form: www.roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=EmailPat

Rockefeller, John D., IV - (D - WV)

(202) 224-6472

Web Form: rockefeller.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Rubio, Marco - (R - FL)

(202) 224-3041

Web Form: rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Sanders, Bernard - (I - VT)

(202) 224-5141

Web Form: sanders.senate.gov/contact/

Schumer, Charles E. - (D - NY)

(202) 224-6542

Web Form: schumer.senate.gov/Contact/contact_chuck.cfm

Sessions, Jeff - (R - AL)

(202) 224-4124

Web Form: sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Constitue...

Shaheen, Jeanne - (D - NH)

(202) 224-2841

Web Form: shaheen.senate.gov/contact/

Shelby, Richard C. - (R - AL)

(202) 224-5744

Web Form: shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailsenatorshelby

Snowe, Olympia J. - (R - ME)

(202) 224-5344

Web Form: snowe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=email

Stabenow, Debbie - (D - MI)

(202) 224-4822

Web Form: stabenow.senate.gov/?p=contact

Tester, Jon - (D - MT)

(202) 224-2644

Web Form: tester.senate.gov/Contact/index.cfm

Thune, John - (R - SD)

(202) 224-2321

Web Form: thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact

Toomey, Patrick J. - (R - PA)

(202) 224-4254

Web Form: toomey.senate.gov/?p=contact

Udall, Mark - (D - CO)

(202) 224-5941

Web Form: markudall.senate.gov/?p=contact

Udall, Tom - (D - NM)

(202) 224-6621

Web Form: tomudall.senate.gov/?p=contact

Vitter, David - (R - LA)

(202) 224-4623

Web Form: vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Con...

Warner, Mark R. - (D - VA)

(202) 224-2023

Web Form: warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact

Webb, Jim - (D - VA)

(202) 224-4024

Web Form: webb.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Whitehouse, Sheldon - (D - RI)

(202) 224-2921

Web Form: whitehouse.senate.gov/contact/

Wicker, Roger F. - (R - MS)

(202) 224-6253

Web Form: wicker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.EMa...

Wyden, Ron - (D - OR)

(202) 224-5244

Web Form: wyden.senate.gov/contact/

Missing the Boat.....Again

The New York 26 District congressional seat was lost by a lack of vision on the part of the Republican Party. Why we continue to let the Democrats eat our lunch with demagoguery full of lies is beyond me. Surely I'm not the smartest guy in the room, but even an Ordinary Joe like me can figure this one out.

Now, I don't mean to insult anyone here, but the country as a whole, has the attention span of a gnat. Everyone knows this. I myself, will flip channels the instant a commercial comes on. I just don't have the patience. So when we see an image of granny being pushed off a cliff in her wheel chair by a Paul Ryan look-alike, of course it is going to sway voters. What do we do? We talk and talk and talk. We say “It's not true”. We say “The Ryan plan does nothing to change Medicare for those 55 and over, and it mumble mumble mumble.......or in Charlie Brownese “hanwha whawawnhanahn wah wan”.

How about this instead. Put your imagination caps on here:

Television Commercial

Opening Scene:

(It is a beautiful spring day, we hear soft upbeat spring-like music in the background. Look-a-likes of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid, all wearing coke bottle thick glasses are pushing a wagon with Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, and two children through a meadow. Blindly pushing the wagon forward, it comes to the edge of a cliff and tumbles over. Barack, Nancy and Harry throw their hands up and mouths open in surprise)

Voice over: With no plan to repair Medicare, the Administration and the Democrats in Congress are blindly pushing us all off a cliff.

Background noise: Family screaming as they fall!

Cut to: (We see Paul Ryan, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Michele Bachmann, and several other prominent Republicans holding a large blanket emblazoned with the words Ryan Plan. One by one they catch the falling family members and safely place them all on the ground)

Voice over: Paul Ryan and the Republicans have shown real leadership with a budget proposal that saves Medicare for all of our seniors, and insures health insurance will be there for everyone when we reach our golden years. Don't let those who have no ideas of their own use lies and distortions to scare you. We have an answer that will preserve what was promised, and protect all of us in the future.

Fade to black

“Elect Jane Corwin and preserve our future.” appears on the black background.

Instead Ms. Corwin tried to run from the Ryan plan and it cost her the election.

Unfortunately the demagoguery from the left side of the aisle works. I would not be so offended if it was at least based loosely on the truth. What is missing on the right side of the aisle is not an understanding of what is needed or what works in terms of policy, but an understanding of how to get the message out. We really do need more catchy phrases, and more ways to boil the message down to a thirty second television commercial.

If you folks need ideas, just ask me, I've got a million of them.

Thoughts from the weekend

You just know it's going to be a good day when you drop your toast on the floor first thing and it lands jelly side up. Good for me!

Sorry I missed the last two days, not off to a good start am I. Oh well, better now than later when someone might actually be reading this. It was a very busy weekend. My lovely bride Beth and I were off to the 14th Annual New Bethlehem Peanut Butter Festival for fun and adventure. If one has never been to a Peanut Butter Festival, and we had not, one is not quite sure what to expect. Fun for sure, and adventure, and the unknown. Venturing out into the far reaches of New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is not that easy a task, though it is easier to find than Timblin.

Pennsylvania has some truly beautiful countryside, and we drove through a portion. We arrived in time for the Peanut Butter Parade. Quite a sight. It lasted a half hour, and was not so well appointed as other parades I have attended in the past, but for all that the citizens seemed to have a good time, and it was a good excuse for the locals to shine up the old tractor. The winner was something like a 1936 Olive, sorry I don't remember the owners name, and a quick Google search reveled no published results.

I can say with assurance, however, that rubber ducks number 48 and 95 did NOT win the duck race, though we went with high hopes for them. To be fair, given the slow current in the Red Bank creek, and the wind blowing the wrong way, it was quite a feat for our little ducks to cross the finish line at all. Oh well the Purina Duck Chow sponsorship wasn't looking good anyway.
On to more poignant things. I am still unemployed. Not much happens on the weekend, so the search continues today. Beth and I have been discussing the merits of Hot Dog Vending and so far the possibilities are promising. We decided that if I am elected to congress, we could move the hot dog cart to DC and sell tasty snacks in between votes on the House Floor. Running a country is a hungry business.

It was actually my political musings that lead us to the Peanut Butter Festival in the first place. The republicans were having an “event” there. Turns out that in Clarion County anyway, an “Event” amounts to a booth with a very friendly fellow pushing the importance of electing the right judges in this fall's election. I agree. Judges are important. They do a lot of judging. I guess Paula Abdul is done with all that now. I think Ellen will be funnier, but that was not the kind of Judge he was talking about. I haven't had time to read the literature yet, but I plan to. I'll let you know.

Of the stuff I've gleaned from my current Representative's web site, he is pretty much against everything the democrats say, and is pretty much for being against everything the democrats say. Hard to get anything done that way, though often not doing something is a good thing. Ah for the days of Newt and the contract for America. What happened to the party of Lincoln actually having an agenda and trying to do something, even if it's wrong.

My father wonders where he went wrong, I'm sure. I grew up in a Kennedy, Humphrey, McGovern household, and didn't actually become a Republican until Regan's second term. In fact I broke up with a girl because she voted for him the first time. Well that and she lived seven hours away and there were cute girls close by. What can I say, I was young.

Anyway, back to my ranting. If my party is ever going to be anything again, we need to stop simply being against everything and start coming up with some “outside the box” ideas of our own. As for the Jobs program, here is an idea, Legalize and tax marijuana. I don't smoke it anymore, haven't for a very long time, way past the statute of limitations, not for twenty-five years. But as hard as they are making it for me to smoke tobacco, I figure people ought to be able to smoke SOMETHING! If we were to be at all honest with ourselves, something sorely lacking in government, we would realize that Alcohol is far more damaging to our citizens and our society, and you can buy it anywhere. Hemp is easy to grow, grows in almost any climate and is one of the strongest fibers going. It can be used to make paper, clothing, rope almost anything that uses pulp or fiber. It also has medicinal as well as recreational uses, and though drivers often forget where they are going, and drive too slowly, it doesn't pose nearly the hazard texting and driving does. Put the farmers back to work and you boost the farm machinery manufacturing business, boosting the steel business, boosting the economy as a whole. Marijuana for jobs, that's what I say, but then I'm just an Ordinary Joe.