Palm Springs Boulliabase Friday
Last night was Diamond Bar, and tomorrow is Malibu. Today the Tygrrrr Express is on Palm Springs for the second time in three weeks, this time to speak to the Palm Springs Republican Women’s Federated.
For those chronicling my wanderings, I am in the midst of 10 cities in 10 days. So while there are many news stories going on, I simply cannot cover them all.
So this will be one of those days where I take my uninformed opinions and create a boulliabase column.
Some people think I deliberately ignore certain stories. This is simply false. Sometimes I am on an airplane when news happens, and by the time I get to my computer, the story is old news. I blame the former Vice Presidentqho invented the internet.
Before getting to boulliabase Friday, I offer a completely irrelevant tangent. The 1980s sitcom “ALF,” led to the local ice cream truck selling ALF cards, which were like baseball cards. ALF played a fictional game called “boulliabaseball,” where “splats” was a recorded statistic.
Now where else can one get such valuable information?
Now on to the news.
Vice President Dick Cheney is an adult. Young President Barack Obama is throwing a temper tantrum, and he needs a timeout. This is not new. However, Mr. Obama needs to stop blaming his predecessor for everything from infectious diseases to puppies and kittens getting caught in trees. Enough already. President George W. Bush inherited a slowing economy, a collapsing stock market, and a gutted military, in addition to 9/11. He did what adults do. He shut up and went to work.
The Democrats were not always crybabies. FDR, Harry Truman, JFK, LBJ, were all “tough liberals.”
If President Obama continues to not only blame his predecessor for things, but actually makes up false charges, then Dick Cheney can and should keep forcefully correcting the record.
Those siding with Obama are liberal partisans who simply despise Bush and Cheney. They are ok with everything Obama does simply because Obama is. There is no objectivity. In the real world, if you make factually false statements, such as preparations regarding Afghanistan, be prepared for blowback when those that actually know what they are talking about publicly educate precocious kids.
One story I wish I never had to cover was Bernie Kerik. In the same way I felt awful when the Michael vick thing went down, but thoughts toward Bernie Kerik fall under the headline, “When heroes fall.”
I am going to defend Mr. Kerik in a way that probably will not help him in any way, but it needs to be said. One criticism of him is that he was sleeping with Judith Regan while married. Now I do not condone adultery, but the whole point of men getting wealth and power is so they can give the ketchup bottle treatment to women like Judith Regan. Powerful men get to sleep with hot women. Now there is a shock. Apparently Bernie Kerik is guilty of normalcy.
I actually communicated with him a couple of weeks ago, and was hoping to do an interview with him. However, that does not appear to be happening any time soon. All I know is nothing that is thrown at him will change the fact that he was an American hero on 9/11. His upbringing in this world was beyond tough, and he overcame long odds to lead a police force. Three people on 9/11 shone through, and they were George W. Bush, Rudy Giuliani, and Bernie Kerik. That fact is forever.
There was a scandal about anti-Semitic remarks made by South Carolina Republicans. I honestly knew nothing about the incident. I have been too busy to research it. I just know that the Republican Jewish Coalition condemned the remarks, which tells me that like good Republicans, this was not swept under the rug. Anti-Semitism must be crushed, no matter who utters the sentiments.
There is a David Letterman sex tape. Yes, the thought is revolting. Yet on a happier note, all of those Frank Gifford and Dick Morris jokes are now proof that Karma exists. My only comment is that it makes perfect sense why one of his lovers was Stephanie Burkett. I was a fan of Letterman for 20 years, but some of his skits were just not funny. He had a character named “Manny the Hippie,” who was a stoner who was celebrated for saying things like “diggity dank” and “schwag.”
Well one set of skits that I never found funny were those involving Stephanie, who he sometimes referred to as Monte and Smitty. She was whiny and annoying, and simply not funny. Letterman had a history of making ordinary people famous, but it worked because the skits were funny. I still to this day love Biff Henderson. He is a riot. Stephanie was not funny, and Letterman allowed his sexual relationships to lower the quality of the show.
Anyway, there is so much more I could say, and if I actually watch the news or pick up a newspaper, maybe I will. As a political blogger, it would help if I actually read politics. This traveling has been hazardous for my research.
Then again, speaking to chapters of the Republican Women’s Federated is a godsend. What red blooded American male would not want to be in a room with a bunch of Republican women? They constantly offer me their daughters and granddaughters and I don’t blame them. On my best days I am more than moderately delightful. More importantly, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. These ladies really know how to eat well. So basically this entire book tour is a ploy to be around better women and better food. Also, some of these ladies like football, which makes them perfect.
The baseball playoffs are going on. In further news, baseball is still boring.
Besides, outside of football, the only sport I will watch is boulliabaseball.
Several fish were harmed in the most recent series, as those splats at home plate can be painful.
This concludes Palm Springs Boulliabaseball Friday.
If any of you criticize this column, I will find you and subject you to a polka jamboree.
That can wait until accordian Tueday, whenever that will occur.
eric
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Wow. I can’t believe anyone still remembers that ALF thing. Do you know why he was called ALF? (I thought ALF was a fun show)
“Vice President Dick Cheney is an adult.”
Yes. An adult vampire! BWAAAHAHAHA!!! (evil laugh)
“President George W. Bush inherited a slowing economy, a collapsing stock market, and a gutted military, in addition to 9/11. He did what adults do. He shut up and went to work.”
No. He yapped away like the annoying, loud, drunk guy at the bar, vacationed for 977 days of his presidency, and oversaw the worst collapse of our nation in 80 years. Work? The only work Bush ever did was to clear brush at his ranch. But he sure did that a lot! Apparently Texas ranches have TONS of brush!
Worst. President. Ever.
The military was not gutted. That’s a lie. Not saying that our good host is a liar, but he’s repeating a lie that’s been out there for years. It’s a lie. Period. If anything, the Bush administration gutted the military, contracting out more of it’s duties than any other president in history, wasting countless billions of taxpayer dollars on no-bid contracts to his master Dick Cheney’s buddies, and stretching forces razor thin with up to 6 tours of duty thanks to Rumsfeld’s sleazy, deplorable, inexcusable, going to war “with the army you have” - re: war on the cheap.
The economy may have been slowing, but Bush did nothing to turn that around. Sure, the tech stocks collapsed, but it wasn’t the end of the world. The tech sector is and was rather marginal. It’s not like housing or food or health or fuels. We can live without tech stocks. We can’t live without housing or food or health or fuels. Not a one of those sectors fared well through the Bush years. Yet another abject failure that Obama has to clean up.
Bush is to adult what William Shatner is to undramatic actor.
Obama is right to continuously remind us of who made this mess, why and how. We can’t forget. We can’t go back to the failures of the past. As Santayana said, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I know this is yet another inconvenient truth for conservatives, as repeating the past is at the very core of their ideology, but adults, of any stripe, would be wise to remember this fact.
JMJ
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Blame Bush for everything, guys..it’s in vogue.
Last night, Lee Kyan Lew, the former head of Signapore, was interviewed on the Charlie Rose TV Show (PBS).
He said he likes the way Obama is governing. He is inspirational. He has surrounded himself with great advisers..who are leading him in the right direction.
However, he is concerned over the huge deficit…that may rattle the nerves of China, causing major disruptions in the world economy. He is also wary of out of control inflation..if the US Treas (Fed) doesn’t act wisely.
As far as China’s growth..tremendous…but their GDP doesn’t begin to approach that of the US..and it’s per capita income won’t endanger the lead of the US anytime soon.
China, and India, and other Far East countries will be the powerhouses of the future..competing with the US and Europe. There will be spheres of economic interest and power in the future. China has changed since it was lead by Mao..and had the cultural revolution.
I agree totally.
A friend told me this morning that, to his surprise and chagrin, China
was asked to finance our stimulus program. Frankly, I hadnt heard
that anywhere. I hope it isn’t true.
You see, our dollar is going down..and inflation might go up.both threatening our leadership worldwide in a serious way.
His opinion about Afghanistan was not predicted by me..get the US out of this no-win war (Obama’s War). We defeated Al Qaeda…and that should be our object only.
As far as abandoning…the country..he said, so!
Obama is inspirational..he likes him.
But there is a limit to liking the President. I liked Kennedy, as did many others…I liked Carter personally. He lost Iran. Kennedy failed miserably in Cuba. I did not like some Republicans..but they saved Israel and the free world.
Again, I ask, what has Obama accomplished? Interviewed on the David Letterman show..he seemed tired..stressed, somewhat confused.
I can understand why.
I told friends during his campaign that he was not suitable for such a responsible and demanding job. He did not have the stomach for the problems. I believe I was right.
John McCain, surrounded by Republicans..Romney, Thompson, Giuliani
and Ron Paul…now that would have been a dream team.
Anyone of the above could have duked it out with Putin, Jong, Chavez,
Assad, Castro, Abbas and especially Ahmad (Iran). Think of meetings with them…Ahmad vs Giuliani…Putin vs Giuliani. I can see Rush as the spokesperson for the Executive branch. Wow..would things have been different. The thought of the above makes me so mad..I could scream, the opportunity we missed…thanks to a savy campaign, and naive
youngsters who voted for Obama..some naive Jews and blacks who thought Obama was in their interests.
Hey guys, we have 20m unemployed and underemployed, while
executives at the banks and insurance companies are sharing in the looted US Treasury.
We are engaging with Iran. We are hoping for a miracle.
Folks, we are mis-interpreting Iran’s intentions..just as we did
during the revolt against the Shah.
Iran is offered now enriched uranium, in exchange for their stocks of
low yield uranium, enriched for several years. This gesture is being made by the US, Russia and France.
In other words, Iran could use it’s nuclear reactors to make electricity, their stated purpose..be a nuclear power..yet satisfy the West’s concerns over making atomic bombs.
So far, they have stalled (typically) asking for more time to decide.
I wonder what Giuliani and Thompson would say, to the stalling. Would they express a mild concern? Hmmmm.
You ask about Obama’s health plan…encouraging a single payer system (govt health for all). You ask about energy, now going through the Congress (cap and trade).
For another post.
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Dan, the US Treasury is not the Federal Reserve Bank.
JMJ
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:58 pm
I generally don’t reread the comments on this site.
I admit to posting probably 10 a day..on other sites and simply
don’t have the time or patience.
Yes indeed, I erred. I should have reviewed my comment before
sending it forward.
The Fed is certainly not the US Treasury Department. One has an effect on our monetary policy, the other fiscal, if my Econ 101 memory is correct.
I find it most fascinating that China has financed so much of our deficit.
It is my understandng that they now own over 1trillion of our debt, much of it used to finance our wars
I seems to this observer that HAD we increased taxes on everyone
at the beginning of the Iraqi campaign, we would not now be fighting (still) there.
President Obama is including the expenditures in the Federal budget, up front expenses. Will this motivate US to take another look at the entire war efforts? I dont know?
Herr Obama seems to like to disciminate against the rich, and successful vis a vie increasing taxes. This is a ploy. All of US are affected, one way or another
Or as a close friend tells me often, “You are paying for all of this” ( he is unemployed and retired). My response is that he also pays through the hidden taxes, and some not so hidden ( gasoline, phone, etc.).
Obama is still fighting to tax the health benefits of employees…AND
the more expensive insurance premiums taken out by many Americans.
Various groups are fighting the above.
I can understand why.
I now read that there may be exemptions afforded to Americans who
simply cannot pay their fair share of insurance premiums..or who won’t (fines).
So, one way or another, we are all paying for those who cannot afford insurance, or won’t participate.
As my father told me decades ago..”There is no free lunch, not even a cheap hamburger”
That’s why I like John McCain’s campaign pledge, to give a credit through
the income tax, to enable everyone to have coverage.
I liked McCain then, and I like him now more than ever.
In my opinion, he would have made a far better President for all of US.
That is why I am supporting his Senatorial campaign, even though I live in California. We have our hands full here to..with Boxer and liberals like
Berman and Waxman. Our state’s employment is in the toilet, there are hundreds of thousands of homes near foreclosure or upside down, industries are leaving the state in droves..and our teachers unions still
won’t budge on their policies.
Food for thought guys.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Feeding the private insurance beast with more taxpayer money will do nothing to reduce the ridiculous inflation in that sector. Only a public option will accomplish that. A tax credit (which would have to be far more than McCain ever suggested) would only help a few small business owners and that’s about it. The average health insurance premium in 2008 was $13,000! At the current rate of inflation, by 2020 it will be $23,000! That’s insane. Throwing taxpayer money at that beast is just plain stupid. With a median personal income of only 32,000 or so (and much lower in some states), even the current price is insane, and with a measely 1.3% or so annual increase in that, juxtaposed with a 7 or so percent increase annually in the healthcare sector, anyone reasonable person can see this is unsustainable.
Single-payer healthcare IS coming. Just give it time. There will be no other viable option. The “free market” (and it’s really not a free market anyway) with regards to healthcare is a failure.
JMJ