Boiled down to a fine stock

I've been taking notes on various issues to write about all day. Watching The ONE talk to Congress tonight has left me with way too much to say. Rather than try to analyze every utterance in an address that had 65 interruptions of applause from the thieves, liars, adulterers, tax cheats and nincompoops (wow, that was actually in my spell checker!) who were eating up everything he was serving up, I will just share a few of my gut feelings.

Today is Fat Tuesday. In honor of the folks in New Orleans busy debasing themselves for several cents worth of beads after consuming several gallons of alcohol I have simmered over the first African American President's first address to Congress to reduce it, like a fine Louisiana Roux fit for a fattening meal, to serve up this salient observation: Despite all his promises, Government can't and shouldn't do it all for us.

The recurring theme in my posts is one of self-reliance and the recurring theme from our President is one of government dependence. To say I am diametrically opposed to the vast majority of what he proposed tonight is like saying Octo-mom has her hands full at feeding time!

In the speech tonight, that hasn't been posted anywhere yet, The ONE spent 95% of the time announcing new programs, spending and initiatives to save us from everything from catastrophic illness (he is going to cure cancer) to hang nails. There wasn't an area of our lives that wasn't put on the plate of Washington programs. He is biting off as much as he can chew. Near the end of his speech, he made reference to a businessman who took millions and gave it to his employees (both current and former) as bonuses. He mentioned a young girl who, despite being educated in a poor quality school, was able to rise above and is working to get her school much needed support.

The amazing thing about both of these examples is that government didn't need to do anything in either case. The people did. We have a President and administration that honestly, hasn't done anything. Obama has never (unless you count running his campaign for President which was really run by people for him) met a payroll and has never been the one responsible for decisions. Biden, the idiot, is in the same boat without oars. This career politician is now in charge of reshaping our economy? The man in charge of the President's economic task force is the man who has run GE in to the ground and is turning the stock in to a penny stock. Almost no one on his Auto Bailout task force owns an American car and a few of them don't own any!

I'd go on but now I am rambling. This week, congress is sending a spending bill of another half trillion dollars to the President and he will sign it. This bill is, once again, full of pork projects soaked with the juices of salivating Democrats drunk, like Mardi Gras revelers, on the power of being in charge. The talk tonight by The ONE about reigning in Government is lip service and is leaving a bad taste in my mouth. The announcers on CNBC, NBC, ABC and CNN are all saying what a great job Obama did tonight. True, the President can whip up a crowd with more flare than Emeril Lagasse "bams" out a Crawfish Etouffe but, like this high in fat meal, the taste is good but it is not good for you. Just like too much fatty food, too much government will be as harmful to the nation's welfare because of waste as a diet of Bananas Foster is to your waist.

If the spending package was the apertif for four years of gluttony, tonight's speech was a look at a menu of high calorie entrees that will leave our country bloated and out of shape. It is time for us to go on Weight Watchers and control our intake of government largesse. Like Governor's Jindal and Sanford in LA and SC respectfully it is time to say no thank you when the waiter offers the dessert tray.

S2

To the victors go the spoils that spoil the victors

At the White House last week a few Senate Republicans, realizing they weren't actually eunuchs, found the testicular fortitude to question our first African American President on his lack of support for more tax cuts. Obama attempted to neuter this argument, cutting the questioners to the proverbial quick with faster than the vets at the Humane Society makes the neighborhood safe from Sparky's antics, with the simple statement, "I won the election".

Unlike the Senate vote in Minnesota, you can't argue that fact: The ONE did win. But does that victory mean everything he wants is now a fait accompli? If you listen to the mainstream media it would seem so. For in their eyes, in briss-like timing, on the Eight Day God created Obama!

House Republicans held ranks closer than overweight soldiers in a very small foxhole amid an artillery shower by voting unanimously against the pork laden, over inflated and sure to fail Stimulus Package. Unfortunately the same strategy may bomb in the Senate where go along to get along Republicans are likely to cross enemy lines and surrender their principles with a white flag vote for the package. We can only hope these usually free stepping turncoats decide that, on occasion, lock step is a good thing and that all the Republican Senators keep formation and vote no.

While all our attention is focused, as it should be, on the discussions in Congress over this attack on our capitalist economic system that is the winner's top priority, there remain numerous examples of hypocrisy, hubris and half-wittedness in the new administration that beg to be commented on.

As mentioned in a previous blog under the definition of hypocrisy, the President recently signed an Executive Order that "forbids anyone on his team from working in an agency or on a program for which they lobbied in the last two years". How then is it that there is little questioning or outrage that in the past few days "a number of exceptions have been granted, with the administration conceding at least two waivers and that a handful of other appointees will recuse themselves from dealing with matters on which they lobbied within the two-year window." I guess it shouldn't matter. After all, Obama did win the election.

While on the campaign trail discussing global warming, the then first African American candidate with a real chance of being elected President Obama said, "“We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times … and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK.”

“That’s not leadership. That’s not going to happen,” he added.

Just this week, the recently inaugurated first African American President Obama chided Washington, DC area schools for canceling classes due to inclement weather saying, "“Because of what? Because of some ice?” He said Sasha, his 7-year-old, pointed out that in Chicago, not only is school never canceled for snow, “you’d go outside for recess. You wouldn’t even stay indoors.”

The tough talking first African American President was exposed to be a bit thin blooded when, in an effort to explain the new casual dress code in the Oval Office Senior Advisor David Axelrod stated, "“He’s from Hawaii, O.K.? He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there.” So we won't be able to drive our SUVs and keep our houses warm but to avoid wearing a suit coat, and by extension showing the official office of the first African American the respect it deserves, the First African American Hawaiian President can crank up the heat to hot house levels. Then again, he did win.

Finally, in a have it your way celebration that makes the King of Burgers seem like a pauper, the First African American Hawaiian President to win office and members of Congress celebrated the passing of the soon to fail stimulus package with a $100 per serving cocktail party. I guess tiny cocktail weenies have no place in this White House although I believe they are readily available at the testosterone challenged soirees of Senate Republicans. (Before you write me letters, I know not all in the Senate are male but I couldn't figure out how to make the symbolism work in a gender neutral way. Deal with it.) On the bright side, it seems some Senators get it although they did join in the extravaganza. I suppose the over the top, budget be damned party is understandable because...

say it together...

Obama won the election.

S2

Oh the times they are a changin'

Time changes everything. Or so it is the saying goes.

In his 1981 inaugural address, Ronald Reagan said, "In this troubled time, government is not the solution, government is the problem."

In his in 1993, Bill Clinton said, "Government is not the problem but it is not the solution. People are the solution."

On January 20th, 2009, we expect to hear Barack Obama say, "Government is the solution".