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...Worth checking Out...
I caught a glimpse of a news conference by the Heritage Foundation's Michael Franc. He is the Government Relations VP for the Foundation. I am well aware of some of the support the Heritage Foundation receives. However, I have been of the view of that any idea that would help provide a roadmap is absolutely crucial to be looked at. I would be analyzing the report annouced by Heritage and providing guidance on it as part of OV's Election Watch Series over the ensuing weeks.
I welcome the Heritage Report because it is how things should be. There was one thing that Michael Franc also noted that I also agree with: incremental change is simply not acceptable. There needs to be the courage to truly work to transform for the greater good.
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Freedom of Speech at its best
David Bartsow of the New York Times has won the Pulitzer Prize for the expose he did on the propaganda campaign that the Bush Adminstration undertook as a buildup to the Iraq War. In his interview with Amy Goodman, he reflected upon his work. His reflections in sends shivers down my spine.
I remember the buildup to the Iraq War. I knew then and understood the sophisticated campaign that the Government had undertaken. My reservations were confirmed when II read Frank Rich's brilliant work while the spinmasters continued to push the storyline. I was frankly distrubed when the networks bought into the story without the serious reporting that was typically expected of the Fourth Estate. CNN, MSNBC, FOX, ABC NEWS AND CBS became an extension of the Government and it was frankly sickening. The historical signifcance of it was not lost on me, though. This tradition went back all the way to the days of William Randolph Hearst.
I can only imagine the response of the Conservatives. I also am quite anxious to see what the Bush Apologists' will have to say about this. I also find the silence of the same crowd who bought into this extremely troubling. I am quite anxious to see how they are going to tear away as to the factual basis of the work David Barstow has done. The Pentagon Inspector General confirmed it when it withdrew the initial report and even took it down from its website.
I commend the Pulitzer Committee for recognizing such great work and congratulate David Bartsow for his prize. For the sake of Democracy's vibrancy, such work must be encouraged. We should expect no less.
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Lessons On What Not To Do.....
As I have written about the Econmic Winter of our times, I have also continued to witness quite a transformation despite the challenges all around us. I view the transformation in the technology space as nothing less than spectacular. As a "Twitter" addict, a facebook "fan", and a committed writer/blogger, I am excited about the possiblites. I was witness to Sun Microsystems meteroic rise to be the darling of the IT world during the dot.bomb era. I cut my teeth writing my first email on a Sun Sparcstation 2. I was also witness to the spectacular fall when the bottom fell out back in 2000.
Since the internet bubble burst, Sun Microsystems has tried to figure out a reason to live. It has attemptef to be the go-to vendor for open source by buying the leading open source database player (MySQL), it made a signifcant investment in storage by buying a major storage player (storagetek), yet it has failed to gain any traction. It has a large installed base and a signifcant service business. But, it appears that the days of it being an independent major player has passed. I view Sun as a company about potentially what may have been. I think that it is another symbol of the very transformation that we have had to deal with throughout the last number of years
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What other shoe will ever drop?
I had hoped to leave behind the Bush years in my writings here. Yet, it appears that the actions by the Bush Adminstration will continue to be the talk of the nation for a while yet.
I have been reading with horror comments by Seymour Hersh about what had transpired about an alleged assassination squad. The accumulation of power is quite scary. I realize that the reporting done here by MSNBC is biased. Between the John Yu memos and this allegation, it shows an apparent debunking of the Constitutional Form of Government during the past eight years. Not withstanding the political tone of it, the mere fact that this kind of "command" existed should be of concern to all
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It is nice to dream.......
In my Witness to History Column on Thursday, I wrote about George W. Bush's Farewell address. I noted that I would accord him the respect due him as one of only 43 men to have occupied the post and let others judge him. But, I did want to address a column that Charles Krauthammer wrote about the legacy of George W. Bush.
Charles Krauthammer is one of the leading conservative voices in America. I sometimes read his work in the Washington Post. He wrote a column which I briefly reviewed in Townhall.com suggesting that George W. Bush will be kindly remembered by history. He noted that his reputation will be "restored". He noted that Truman's reputation took many years to recover and Bush's reputation would be resurrected a lot sooner. I think he is absolutely wrong in this regard. Mr. Bush is leaving office as the worst President in my lifetime, if not the history of the Republic
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A Rare chance Indeed.....
Thursday, January 15, was quite a day. It began innocently enough as does any other day. I happened to turn on CNN and there it was, the Senate Farewell Speech by the Vice-President Elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
I am a Joe Biden fan. I was a fan when he ran for President in 1988 before his campaign imploded due to some unforeseen errors. I continued to be a fan because I saw him rise to be the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. I saw him when he thundered against Don Rumsfeld, reminding the world that "...he does not know what the hell he's talking about...". When he talked about the Giants of the Senate, I was almost in tears as I truly realized how such great men had come to appreciate it all and realized how majestic it all was. I heard him again talk about the conversation he had with Mike Mansfield regarding Jesse Helms and the fact that the Helms had decided to adopt a handicapped boy. I was especially taken aback when Joe Biden talked about Storm Thurmond's last wish for Joe Biden to give the eulogy at the Senator's funeral
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..The Blood-letting Continues....
The flood of bad news continues unabatted. Just today, the reports have included Bank of America needing Billions to absorb Merril Lynch and Citigroup's woes continuing to be compounded by losses. As I see every sector of the Economy, I see an economy in distress beyond even the worst estimates.
Right now, Unemployment is officially at 7.2%. But, this is not quite correcct. The actual percentage is close to 11%. There are many who have stopped looking, look part time and not officially part of this so-called figure. What is bothersome is the inability of Congress to come together to pass the stimulus package. The Speaker has promised the President's Day Recess. But, the Republicans are starting to make a lot of noise. That continues to be worrisome. As this goes on, the Republicans are gunning for Tim Geinther, Mr. Obama's Treasury Choice because of a tax problem that he took care of. But, they are worried that he was asleep at the wheel while the implosion on Wall Street was going on. I think he will be confirmed, but at a potential price that we can't afford right now
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Another Bush Folly in the Making
It appears likely that Mr. Bush will leave one last legacy for Mr. Obama to clean up. I find the reports that the Auto Industry will be "allowed" or forced into some sort of an orderly bankrupcy as nothing short of sheer lunacy. This is the irresponsiblity at its' worst. They have spent almost half a trillion dollars and have taken gone committments of at least another 5 trillion dollars with nothing yet to show for it. The Fed is doing everything it can so far. But the mere mention of having the Auto Industry go bankrupt is just madness. I don't know what George W. Bush is thinking. But, if he was thinking we would not be here today.
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George W.Bush Finally Woke Up!!!
George W. Bush finally acknowledged that a recession has befallen the United States. When I heard him speak while on the road, my first reaction was simple: heeeeeeeeeelllllllllllooooooo o, where have you been? I should not have been shocked because I sense that he is so detatched from reality. He seems to have been the last guy in America who finally woke up to what we have all been seeing for the longest time. He committed to do everything he can to avoid further detriment to the economy. When I heard him say that, I would have told him that you have done more than enough Mr. President. Please just finish the transition and retire to your new luxurious Dallas Home and go out to build your library. You have done enough!!!
As I listened to his comments at the White House, I was especially bothered by how he has has abrogated complete responsibility. The man is still President for another 40 days. Yet, it seems that he does not want to do anything. Every day I see reports of companies cutting people. Whether it is Viacom or AT&T, no one is immune. Now, the problem is that the jobs being cut are not coming back. We also have leaders who are arguing about who is the best Steward of tax payers money. Where were all the stewards and good samartians when they were needed the most
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..and the Drama Continues....
The 2008 election is yet to be over, but at least one race has been decided. U.S. Media is now reporting that Saxby Chambliss has won re-election to the U.S. Senate. I noted that the verdict of the people of the State of Georgia should be respected. The numbers I saw pointed to a blowout. Although, it appears that the turnout was rather low and African Americans hardly turned out at all. I saw David Gergen on CNN earlier. He was saying that this win is a plus for Sarah Palin. She was out for Chambliss throughout the week-end. I suppose she is right. She seems to be everywhere but in her own State right now. She's got the National Bug. Who can blame her?
I happened to catch William Bennett on CNN. He has a new book out called the American Political Almanac. He spoke highly of Barack Obama. He noted that he is trying to be a good President. When conservatives speak up for him, I sense hope. It is fascinating to see how the 2010 and 2012 campaigns have already begun. It will be fascinating to see how it evolves. We will live with the Bush legacy for years, though. One thing I am quite happy about is the fact that we have people coming in that truly believe in Government. If nothing else, this is a refreshing change. Guys like Chambliss may be a firewall. We may need such firewalls for the sake of Democracy
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An Ordinary Man's Perspective
Just like "ordinary folks", I was out on committments for the day. Although I don't every think that those of us who think and take the time to write about our world are necessarily ordinary. But, I wanted to once again be witness to history. So, I popped into a place where I could watch CNN as I worked on some paperwork and happened to call in to a conference call I needed to be in. It was just another ordinary day for an "ordinary guy".
Today was the day Mr. Obama went to Washington. As I watched this on CNN, I again was in awe as to the peaceful and seamless transfer of power that has begun in the United States. There was a new poll that came out about how unpopular President Bush is. As I heard that, my reaction was "so what". I see the role of the President right now is one thing: to insure a smooth, seamless transfer of power. There is one President, that's for sure. But, let's focus on the future while being mindful of the world around us. I am gratified and frankly proud to be an observer as this transfer is going on. The signifcance of a man of color visiting a house built by Slaves shows how far America has come. I caught this image as CNN was showing the two men walking down the corridor to the Oval Office
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No one is above the law
CNN is right now reporting that Ted Stevens, the Senior Senator from Alaska, has been found guilty of ALL charges. This is a slam dunk!!!! The government got him. This is what America is about. The law is supreme no matter what. We ought to be proud of that. I am just amazed that Senator Stevens allowed himself to be subjected to this. I am sorry for him and his family. But this is a reaffirmation of America and it should be a cause for celebration.
On a side note, I just read quite an obiturary on the Bush II years by Ed Rollins. He once again reminds us what a historic election this is and what a colossal failure Bush Jr. Is. I think the only guy that truly does not recognize it is W himself. He destroyed his party, almost destroyed the country in the name of power. At least towards the end he has had enough sense to put grown-ups back in charge. The question in my mind is how big the win is going to be? Senator Obama will need all the help he can get!!!
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Doesn't he have anything better to talk about ?
John McCain seems to love Bill Ayers. He and his running mate were on NBC Nightly News. John McCain again blasted Senator Obama for the Ayers Ties. For a tired campaign, it seems as if he has nothing better to say. I am sorry for Senator McCain and what the Republican Party has come to. The folks who are fleeing the ship are quite impressive. When Scott McClellan came out for Senator Obama, that should tell the country something extra ordinary. What about the Goldwater family turning on Senator Goldwater's successor?
Senator McCain finally came down to blasting the Bush Administration today in a Washington Times interview. When asked about spending $150,000 on clothes, McCain's comment was "...she needed clothes..". But, it is too little too late. All polls, so far, shows that Barack Obama in a commanding lead. I say, so what? Obama can't be complacent and has to fight all the way to the end. There is still twelve days left. Obama's Prime Time Special is on next week. Obama has to seal the deal next week. We'll see
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I have been watching with horror as the Retail sector has undergone a massive upheavel. Retail as we've known it for the last 30 years will be no more. I view the massive restructing and realignment of Retail as probably the scariest of all the changes we're seeing today. In my own backyard, two major retailers are shutting down and have undertaken massive liquidation sales. I happend to visit my City's local Mervyns' Store last week. I had avoided it for a while simply because I could not bear it. When I walked it, I was simply shocked as to the products being out there and the massive price reductions. I also checked out Linen n' Things as well. Many of the products were way over priced anyway. But, these two stores rode the consumerism of the 90's and now have become the latest victims. All the major players are suffering.
As I walked past Mervyn's today, I wondered about who can replace it. I did not particularly care about the landlord. But I wondered about the revenue loss the State will suffer. I wondered about when the blood-letting will stop. The investors are sure speaking up, though. Markets all around the world are dropping. The Dow lost over 500 points on Wednesday. I only take comfort in one thing right now: the drop in the price of oil. London Brent is at $ 62 per Barrel. New York Light is at $ 66 per Barrel. That price drop scares me. It scares me because it will potentially cause us to lose sight of the effort to rid ourselves of our addiction to Carbon.
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Some Common Sense Advise!!!!
Many may not know who Andrew Lahde is. He ran a hedge fund that made a killing betting against the housing market. He was right..and many of us were wrong!!! Many of us are paying a heavy price for it.
Andrew Lahde wrote to his investors on Friday letting them know he's moving on and shutting down his fund. His letter is funny and yet so pointed in terms of what has happened and what we should be aware of. I wrote about the party being over for Hedge Funds. I was glad to see I was not alone
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Haven't they done enough damage?
The daily barrage of polls and analysis continues. History can be a harbinger of things to come. It is important to note that some of the poll analysis noted that in 1980, 2000 & 2004, the Republicans candidates were down in the polls. Yet, the same candidates went on to win. So, who knows frankly what is going to happen. If the Democrats think they have it in the bag, they are frankly smoking crack or something!!??!! They have to work as hard as they can to earn every vote. Because the Republicans will be just as aggressive in their attacks.
Governor Palin continues his "culture war" against the Democrats. As I caught a brief glimpse of her on CNN, she talked about how "unpatrotic" Barack Obama is. I continue to be sickened by the ugly tone of the McCain campaign. John McCain and Sarah Palin have perpetuated a lynch mob mentality that in my view does a profound sense of disservice to the country. They are trying to be able to perpetuate a case of trumped up charges of voter fraud and the supposed alleged ties to ACORN. Interestingly enough, the Atlantic Monthly reports that John McCain spoke at an ACORN rally two years ago. The diversion being done is simply sickening. The fact that even one person is calling for Senator Obama to be killed is absolutely wrong. Senator McCain claimed that the same crap being said at his campaign is being said at Obama rallies. That's an absolute lie. Senator McCain simply makes himself look like an idiot by trying to shift the debate. The McCain campaign is all over the map. One day Senator Obama is a family man. One day Senator Obama is a risk. I am trying to figure out which is it
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September 29th 2008 01:42
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No reason to celebrate, yet......
Speaker Pelosi just got done speaking to the American People and the World. They have agreed to a deal!!! It is available at The Bailout Plan. If the link does not work, it is available at http://speaker.house.gov. "Hopefully" there will be a measure of stability so that as Senator Reid just said, "...it gets to get a bad situation from getting worst...". I think this is the sign of things to come: A return to Constitutional Government!!! They made a difference today. I commend them for it. The markets will judge it too starting in about an hour from today.
UPDATE: I have been monitoring the markets in Australia, Korea and Japan. They have risen an average of 1%.....It is a start!!!!
September 27th 2008 21:39
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I can't believe I am saying this....
Although I have fundemental disagreements with what the Republicans have done in mounting opposition to the Plan, the reports I am seeing reflects how flawed President Bush's plan actually is. It appears that the reforms pushed by Barney Frank, Chris Dodd (and yes the Republicans), is having an impact in insuring that Main Street is protected.
I nearly fell off my chair when I read Jim Stillman's Open Letter to the President on Political Certainty. It truly reflects the sentiment on the street. Will Main Street in fact be protected? I am not sure yet...but the alternative before us is even worst. As I have said before, I have faith that we will overcome. There is one good result out of this: The Constitutional System of Government that has been so stymmied by George W. Bush is returning. The Congress is stepping up. That's how the system is supposed to work. Congress is not rolling over and play dead as it did for six years. I urge the Congress not to lose its nerve
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September 25th 2008 07:46
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Can The Leaders Truly Come Through?
President Bush spoke late Wednesday to the country and the world. He underscored how tough things are. He has called for a bipartisan meeting at the White House later on today to discuss the bailout package and the way forward. I think the President has risen up to the challenge to bring all parties together. Although I wish he would have governed in this fashion, better late than never!!!
I view this event as quite significant. I also am heartened by the joint statement issue by Senators Obama and McCain. There is no question that we have arrived at the moment of reckoning. The President was absolutely right on when he said that in times of crisis throughout history, everyone has risen up to the challenge. I am confident that the leaders will do so yet again. The people expect no less
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September 23rd 2008 07:46
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Should we rush into it?
The Political Candidates, The Pundits and Government Officials have been at it. The proposed 700 Billion Dollars bailout is now before the Congress. Although there is enough information and analysis out there right now, what Robert Scheer noted was worth mentioning: President Bush vetoed S-Chip becuase it cost too much money. Yet, somehow, the country can come up with 700 Billion Dollars to bailout Wall Street. An interesting idea HIllary Clinton had was to have the bank to freeze the foreclosures to avoid the spike while allowing banks to work through the challenges?
Let's not rush to judgement and truly insure that all ordinary folks interests are indeed protected. Some decisions needs to be made soon, though. So far, the markets seem to have given a big thumbs down to what has been proposed. As I write this, markets in Asia are falling after the big fall on Wall Street. When will this all end
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Another George W. Bush Folly....
Russia is still in Georgia. The seize fire has turned out to be a joke. Russia has basically thumbed its' noise at the world. The Russian Foreign Minister, in a column in yesterday's Financial Times, said that "....This is not a conflict of Russia's Making; this is not a conflict of Russia's choosing. There are no winners from this conflict." I respectfully say to Mr. Lavrov that he is an absolute liar in that it was the very policies of his government that was the catalyst. The decision by Russia to hand all South Ossetians passports was the latest in a large series of steps taken by Russia to insure that the former colonies behaved. Russia will in turn use this right it has reserved onto itself to move into other former colonies that have Russian minorities. Ukraine and Polish leaders were brave to join the President of Georgia at the large rally in Tbilisi. But, all of this is just for show.
While Russia is flexing its' muscle, the United States appears as impotent as ever. The President spoke and sent Secretary Rice. I'd say, so what?? There is not much that they can do. The biggest problem is that George W. Bush has no credibility because of what he did to Iraq. John McCain even has less credibility. The same arguments George W. Bush and John McCain are using are the same ones Russia is using. Sergei Lavrov's column had exactly the same international justification to make the move as it did. This still does not wash away the stupidity of the President of Georgia. I still can't understand the decision that he made. A good lawyer always analyzes and never acts on impulse. On that simple test he failed and failed miserably. Lavrov is also wrong on his second point. Russia has already won
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If this is honor...I wonder what dishonor is...
John O'Neill is one of the guys who led the "Swift-Boaters" who helped to derail U.S. Senator John Kerry's 2004 Presidential Campaign. It was a concerted effort that ulimately resulted in George W. Bush being reelected to a second term. It was the second term where he said he had gained "political capital" to get things done.
Well, the swifboaters don't seem to want to give up. John O'Neill's email reminded the country about the "honor" he had to derail John Kerry's campaign. I don't know Mr. O'Neill and will not question his intergrity and honesty. I also respect his service to America. But, I don't believe that he truly understands the America that he fought for. To me, America means respect and admiration. America to me means an optimism and belief in the future and the fact that anything is possible. It is about respect for all men and all beliefs. I am sure that John O'Neill believed it once. Doing this to me has undermined the very essence of America. Americans should repudiate and reject such notions. As for Freddoso's book, he has a right to publish his book. That's why we have the first amendment in this country. But blatant character assassination cannot be allowed to continue for the sake of our country
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Is it in fact part of the solution?
I have perceived government to be a partner. Yet, over the past 28 years (ever since the election of Ronald Reagan), Government has been systematically dismantled under the guise of efficiency. It has been dismantled because it was perceived to be a part of the problem, not the solution. Part of how it was done was to put people in charge who were ideologically opposed to the very nature of the mission of the institution. I remember appointments like James Watt who was an avowed opponent of the mission of the Department of the Interior--whose sole mission was to protect the natural resources of the United States. Watt was just extreme example. There were many others.
Now that 8 years of the Bush Disaster is coming to an end, his successor will have a profound problem. With deficits as far as the eye can see, the choices are limiited. Joe Klein talked about the fact that the next President has to make government work again. Reagan was praised because he was a former President. But, his record and his achievements were not that impressive. I am sure that many will disagree. If Obama is elected, he will have his hands full in trying to undo the damage of 8 years of msguided excesses which has jeoporidized the U.S. position as the biggest economy in the world. It will begin with Obama appointing visionaries who are tough enough to make the tough choices for the sake of the nation. As for Senator McCain, he has said that economy is not his strong suite. Where is he going to find the money to give away more tax cuts is something that is a bit of a mystery? We'll have to see how it all pans out
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Mike Pouraryan
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