FIND A MIRROR MITT

Gifts??? Let me count the ways that you are getting a hog's share of government gifts, first, that capital gains tax,,,, poor working class peon has his earnings taxed higher than you do - then there are the tax loopholes that undoubtedly you have the tax lawyers and accountants to maximize benefiting from those, i.e. Cayman accounts to park some of your millions and avoid supporting this wonderful country ...... then there is the matter of the one percenters not required to pay into Social Security after a cap which at present is somewhere around 110,000 but what is equal about the poor wage earner again below that paying on his every dollar.........then itemizing on the tax return is often not something the middle class can do, but you can work that to your advantage and I suspect those tax guys of yours have massaged that plenty.

You should  be ashamed but you do not seem to have an inventory of usual human emotions, that is why you lost the election. Quit manufacturing excuses for yourself.

graysmoke

DECEPTION

How would you view deception in the Betraeus soap opera? In my book, it is a character flaw and that surprises me - the extent to which the general must have gone in order to keep his wife from knowing about his extra-marital affair. I would strip him of those stars if I had my way since this was happening on our payment of his livelihood -- just how much are four star generals paid anyway?

So he happens now to be the highest ranking male in the Loose Zipper Society. John Edwards eat your heart out, Oh maybe that isn't possible - you lost that figuratively, long ago.

But there is competition out there it seems for the top LZS position, we will just have to wait and see what all was in those thousands (!!!!) of email pages between General Allen and Kelley, maybe he will replace you quickly.

It is interesting that both women involved seem to be brainy brunettes, but with  numb and dumb streaks blended into their brilliance.

I am waiting for someone with enough nerve to suggest espionage by one or both females. Was Kelley born in the U.S. or Lebanon--- can't quite figure out from the information on websites that her parents emigrated here from there in mid seventies and she is thirty-seven.

And would you welcome someone who had never written a book ever to do your biography, such a smell. I wonder what hindsight Mrs. Petraeus has about that now, I hope she has the guts to dump her philandering spouse.

Another huge question --- are these men really keeping their eye on the ball regarding their military and government assignments? Afghanistan? CIA?  How can we hide doubts about that aspect of all this?

graysmoke

CONGRATULATIONS......

to Elizabeth Warren on winning her senate seat. She is going to be a powerful addition to that body and we need many more women like her.......like until we have representation equivalent to our population figures.

graysmoke

OH, MITCH........

What is going to be your goal now?

graysmoke

FREEDOM

Ah, today is election day, and we shall be free, free from Romney's lies and hopefully he will get soundly buried by smart voters that weren't fooled by his distortions. He can go back t his elevator garage and play with his multi-millionaire toys.

American needs to be freed from politics that have a price in dollars as well as truth. I may not live to see it, but if President Obama gets re-elected, it is likely that the conservative leanings of the Supreme Court will shift to moderate and there will be no more decisions like Citizens United.

Dare I venture that there is strength in honesty and that voters will turn out in a much higher percentage than previously and we will retain the first African/American president for a historic second term.

graysmoke (Caucasian)

MITThology

I have no idea who coined this - heard it used by Nancy Pelosi on an interview with Charlie Rose. I think it so apt.  Wonder who will be the first to capitalize on this and author a book on same.

And there continues to be free material supplied in bulk at this late stage of the campaigns.  I look forward to withdrawal, of course I am assuming the public has more sense than to subscribe to voting for this fake -- but one never knows -- there are strange currents in our political waters. This is evident by events like the Sununu utterings amid others.

I mailed in my ballot today --- took me a bit of time to educate myself on the measures in my new state of residence, next year I won't need to spend as much time as I will be absorbing the political scene bit by bit but it is a challenge to stick with learning enough when there are multiple ones, this year they are numbered 79 through 85 so seven subjects to explore and dig up information in addition to what is just included in the voters pamphlet.

graysmoke

WELL DESERVED!!!

A boomerang right in the kisser-- for Romney butting in, politicizing the crisis in Libya. His candidacy has been built to an overly large degree on dissing President Obama. so Mitt just couldn't wait, and it is going to backfire. Evidence of that is already all over the airwaves and internet and print news.

Let's see how he tries to squirm back this one.........extracting his leg as well as his foot from his mouth might be just too much contortion......good-bye candidate.

Jon Huntsman where art thou?


graysmoke

Another "R"

What is the one quality necessary to being a successful venture capitalist?

I gave you a clue.

It is ruthlessness.  And that is the only qualification Romney has to be president. do you want a ruthless president? I don't.

And this quality is why he doesn't "connect", he is trying to hide that major part of his personality and behavior. Comes off as the empty shirt.  A venture capitalist is a job making money, nothing else, making the maximum amount for the limited partners who have funded the venture. It is not about creating jobs.

And isn't Ann  overdoing it.........then there is that story about Mitt's dad and the rose.

Doesn't that just beg for plausibility?  Mother Romney stays in bed every day until her husband leaves and she finds the daily rose. Give me a break. And I haven't heard a single reporter question the credulity of this improbable anecdote. They lived in Michigan right?----just where is one to get a fresh rose every morning of the year at that time of day. And who minded the kids. Did they have a conservatory growing roses inside just so he could make this gesture of fidelity. I don't think there would be street vendors selling them back in those years or florists open at those hours. Why is this story being accepted?

graysmoke

ROMNEY wRONGS

Ah so! Picking Ryan ranks right up there with McCain's pick of Palin, both such greenhorns and totally incapable of taking on tasks of President and Commander-in - chief if that occasion would ever arise. Not only that, Ryan doesn't even have any experience to qualify him for VP.......his global exposure seems to be nil.......and one other thing I wonder about. Do we want Paulie to be the heartbeat away from POTUS......not in my book. And this choice sure casts a deep shadow over Romney's non-existent wisdom.  Midnite dark there now.

Has John Sunono, (LOL)- been promised a cabinet position in exchange for being the ticket's hatchet man?

YAWN -- can't wait until this all ends in November.

graysmoke

LAUGHING STOCK

Romney definitely qualifies to be the laughing stock potential Republican nominee, but perhaps after his foreign trip the Republicans will come to their senses, disqualify him and declare Jon Huntsman their choice at the convention.

Well --- stranger things seem to be happening.

graysmoke

ROMNEY IS wrong......

His business experience in no way qualifies him for being president. The president of the country doesn't just have a single goal of making as much money as possible which is his only qualification and buying/selling not skills needed in running the economy of a country either.

Romney isn't in touch with himself let alone the American public.

He has a bad case of oral diarrhea.

graysmoke

LINE 7 FEAR?

I can't help but wonder if the reason Mitt won't release any other tax returns is whether it would box him in if he showed wages and salaries on the 1040 but is declaring he wasn't operating and running Bain for some specific years after he left to work at the Olympics----?????????

That would explain his continued vehemence.........gotta be some reason, so why not this one.

graysmoke

FROM HERE

Til November is a long long time, and for one, I am already  bored with the stump speaking and the emptiness especially, of Romney's declaratory statements that give no detail of how he would accomplish his stated assertions. He is such an empty shirt. If the Republican Party really wanted to have a competent ticket, then why on earth isn't Jon Huntsman  backed and supported, and why not recruit someone like William Cohen as VP candidate for such a ticket.

Romney's career as a venture capitalist in no way prepares him to handle the presidency, venture investing is narrowly strict and has a limited goal, make money. Make more money, push the envelop, and make your own rules. It seems apparent now that Mitt ignores rules, like those of the SEC.

I cannot think of anything worse than having a heartless millionaire like him in office.Won't the silence when the political season ends be welcome? Meanwhile I will keep the mute button busy.


graysmoke

"HOLDING"

Just when will the Supreme Court drop the health care bomb? Time is running out and the public is weary of the wait. I am guessing it might be released this Friday. No particular reason, but it will give the media time to digest over the week-end or time for segments to be on the Sunday talking head shows.

I am hoping they keep as much of the program as possible, it will be years, if ever, that Congress will tackle legislation this difficult again.

graysmoke

BARE KNUCKLES

The Senate Judiciary hearing with AG Holder surpassed even House thug Issa's performance for thug politics.

What a disgrace, especially the insulting allegations by Sen. Cornyn practically equaled by Hawk Lindsay Graham. For Shame senators.

And these monsters are talking contempt procedure AGAINST Holder. What about just plain vanilla contempt exhibited by their exhibition.

Again, for shame.


graysmoke

MITT HAS LOOSE LIPS

Comments by Romney regarding Syria, are a perfect example of this candidates poor judgement. He doesn't have access to intelligence on the subject and needs to acknowledge that the best position for him to take is one of sensible discreetness.

It seems he has little regard for the possibility of his irresponsible hawkish commentary, causing negative situation to worsen. Politicizing this is tabu.......he can generalize about foreign policies but leave the particulars out of the picture........efforts by the State Department and United Nations don't need this input, so he is putting his pleasing a base element above common sense.

Zip your lips, MITT.

graysmoke

'FAKEBOOK'

When the Fakebook bubble bursts  will anything be learned? Where did the idea come from that there is a monetary value to abbreviated commentary on a public social network site? It seems the gamble is that advertisers will buy the "eyes" that Fakebook claims it delivers.  Already though, GM has yanked its account saying it wasn't productive, Imagine that!

The concept that value can be created without tangible products is on shaky ground.  For instance the derivatives mess. Issuing shares that aren't backed up with tangibles is not something I see as durable.

So stand clear  for fallout when this gigantic bubble expands into nothingness.


graysmoke

USE OR ABUSE

Capitalism can be and is corrupted, like so many other things, when greed and excessive profits enter the picture. So here we are having this exposure of activities by a particular venture capital corporation because of Romney and the scrutiny reveals to me that this firm falls into the category of those that abuse capitalism. This is supported by their not having adequate consideration for employees and exaggerated aspirations to maximize all for the shareholders.

This same distorted focus applies also to trade. Free trade is not necessarily evil but it is not necessarily FAIR trade either, depends on the practitioners.

So watch Romney squirm while his past gets the klieg lights. Which today is distorted by so much media massaging of the Cory Booker comments on MTP ------

graysmoke

SCARS OF CAMPAIGNING

What is duller than these drawn out political campaigns, I can think of nothing. It requires banning television for the duration, or just watching no cable or network newscasts or power hosted programs, i.e. Hardball etc.

It is still a long, long time until November.......

graysmoke

HARD WORK

Very hard work, to believe that Ann Romney didn't have domestic help when raising her children as a stay at home mom. Maybe nannies too.

I find it rather strange that someone in the media hasn't checked this out.

And I bet she didn't have to do as I did, budgeting so closely that I sewed most of our clothing and drapes, slipcovers etc. ---- really I doubt that she knows what hard work is, maybe just deciding which Cadillac she wants to drive on a specific day, perhaps she could get a couple more to match her clothing choices.

graysmoke

THE WHITE TOWEL

Santorum just couldn't bow out quietly, he had to do his usual offensive sermonizing. I, for one, will not miss this politician.

Good Riddance for the country not to possibly be cursed with further radicalization attempts from his corner.

graysmoke

POLITICAL WASTELAND

Three primaries today and Romney gets a clean sweep but do you want to bet that Gingrich, Santorum, and Paul will continue to spend money like water on fatalistic futile campaigns. And there are voters that are willing to have these failures as president?

An interesting wrinkle is whether or not Romney and Ryan may have broken a state election law in Wisconsin by passing out subway sandwiches in election day? Isn't that a hoot!

Meanwhile during these inanities the actual President was giving an impassioned speech to the Associated Press convention showing what an intelligent individual is like........beats me why the Repugs are so blind and anti-Obama, I've come to the conclusion that it is more than just party differences.

graysmoke

COURT ANTICS

I am especially piqued by Justice Scalia's trivializing of health care with his food/broccoli analogy attempt. It was also evident that all spoke from never having experienced the reality of being without coverage and what that means to a person's life.

I listened to many hours of the arguments and wasn't impressed with the performance of the Solicitor General. It was surprising to me that no part of any argument that I heard referenced the constitution's goal of providing for the general welfare since this is one of the central reasons that our forefathers adopted the Constitution. Instead there was all the nitpicking and hairsplitting over the commerce regulations.

And do we really have a court of nine justices, Thomas was never heard from in any recordings that I heard.

It is going to be challenging to wait until the end of June for the final of this and since the court has become almost as politically polarized as all other government institutions, I fear for the result and that it will not be for the common good.

graysmoke

COMIC RELIEF

In our family it is endemic to be a voracious reader and that is what keeps me sane. A perfect antidote to cable television.

If you are one that doesn't think the Brits have a sense of humor, then let me recommend that you read Howard Jacobson's "Whatever it is, I don't Like It"--- which is a compilation of columns from his works originally published in the INDEPENDENT -- It tickles me pink.

And if you absolutely must follow the broadcast media - this book is terrific for getting you through the commercials. Or if you are a "bathroom" reader, you know what I mean. LOL. -- the columns are short and beautifully written, I am passionate about his use of the King's English one could say.

The only problem is this can be devoured too quickly.

graysmoke

ZIMMERMAN

One cannot escape the media coverage on this case so here are some observations that I haven't heard expressed by anyone that I have listened to, this in regard mostly to the video aired yesterday of Zimmerman being brought handcuffed in a squad car to the police station.

Comment 1. -- He was able to exit the rear seat of the vehicle without assistance - with the handcuffs in place, this takes considerable agility IMO and usually the officers place a hand above the head when entering or exiting passengers from that area to protect them from accidentally or intentionally bumping the car frame. Zimmerman did not need this. To me this also gives an indication of a man of exceptional leg strength.

Comment 2. -- Online I have seen the respective weights given as 140/150 for Trayvon Martin and 250 for Zimmerman. Which makes it unlikely, in my mind, that Martin could have bested Zimmerman physically.

Comment 3. -- It reportedly was a rainy evening so why shouldn't Zimmerman have, to some degree, wet clothing even if not knocked to the ground/grass? So the gesture by the officer of appearing to find same doesn't necessarily implicate Zimmerman being "grounded" by Martin.

Comment 4. -- Not related to the video but of interest is the John Doe-ing at the morgue of the body. It seems highly probable that officers would have used Martin's cell phone to identify him - where is the phone? It apparently has been used to time the event. It apparently took place quite early in the evening when it would not raise questions of being in the area as there might be if it were in the wee hours of the morning before daylight.

Why no attempt to reach the parent(s) if the cell phone stored numbers often used?

This case reeks with inconsistency and a lack of official competence.


graysmoke

HEART TRANSPLANTS

These are organs in short supply as you can deduce when you read that there are over 3000 needy patients on the waiting lists maintained by UNOS. So why is a seventy-one year old selected?

UNOS operates under a Federal contract:

http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/optn/history.asp



Sorry, but this valuable replacement should have been matched to another recipient. Selecting Cheney does smell of privilege -- and it may discourage donors.

One physician commented that the choice was appropriate and that there are no ethical questions. That is just opinion. Maybe he should poll the other patients on the waiting lists.


graysmoke

Neighborhood Watches

The Trayvon Martin killing and the perpetrator Zimmerman are getting a super heap of media coverage.

One fallout from this is going to be even less willingness to participate in legitimate local watch programs. Usually these groups are authorized by a community's Board, is there a Board in Twin Lakes? Was there authorization ? As communities mature, the boards sometimes become inactive.

Despite all the coverage, I still don't know how many other residents were active in the same group as Zimmerman. I have heard that is not a registered group and that raises questions about whether Zimmerman can claim the authority (and cover?) of being a true representative.

It is clear that the police had, what to me is an excess of contact without questioning his status. Also there has been no list of evidence that police collected at the scene, do they have the bottle of tea, the partial bag of Skittles. It appears they let Zimmerman go and still carrying.

Zimmerman's background shows questionable activity that should disqualify him from being a gun owner, IMO. So details about his permit should be investigated, where is the press on this?

This is an incident that certainly illustrates the USA is still a very segregated society and especially in the South.

A tragedy indeed, can society change quickly enough to prevent any more?


graysmoke

BAIN bane

So wannabe Mitt Romney thinks he knows how to run the nation's economy because he was a high mucky muck in his own capital venture firm?

What this means is that he can come in and sell off the country's assets for huge profits to funnel to his political SuperPacs and other supporters then after that he can walk away while the nation goes bankrupt.

That's the recipe folks.

Beware what you vote for.


graysmoke

Stimulus

No I am not talking about the economy........just wondering how the radical right is going to re-energize the continuing campaigns...........as expected obsessive/compulsive, maybe bi-polar, Gingrich is confirming his problems and Santorum continues to be super sanctimonious and Romney still looks as though he wears a strait jacket. I am not the only one that thinks those jeans he appears in, look like they belong to someone else's body, I heard a female commentator make a remark about getting rid of the false jeans. Jeans get to looking like they conform to the owners body style -- these do not. Now is that going to stimulate you to look discerningly next time you see him wearing them?

Well it beats listening to the rhetoric of the day.

graysmoke

MORE PRIMARIES

Ho Hum........it is getting so dull, the chameleon Romney, the obsessed Gingrich, the deluded Santorum......and a low literacy level in the states holding their elections today......any idiot should be able to guess what the results are going to be. R will hold the urban area where literacy higher and the pentecostal, Catholics and evangelicals will arm wrestle over the rest......maybe a tie might be a relief from the boredom

Really it is getting embarrassing.......


graysmoke

a bit of sauce......

I find this hilarious.

In the state of Virginia a woman member of the legislature has introduced what I will call the goose/gander/gender equality amendment to the ultrasound bill and another woman legislator has filed a similar bill in another state, California I believe.

For men who are going to have vasectomies, there will be a requirement for a rectal exam etc. also to require cardiac stress testing before use of Cialis and Viagra .

graysmoke

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF wannabees/couldhavebeens

Since I was up during the night because of my RLS condition, I watched on C-Span a rebroadcast of the Senate Armed Services Committee with Secretary Panetta and Gen. Dempsey testifying. I don't think I tuned in at the very beginning but I watched more than an hour of it and during that time, Senator McCain and Senator Leiberman had there turns questioning. They are superhawks about intervention precipitously in Syria.

It is obvious that they are not asking themselves a crucial question. So we create more deaths by our intervention, how is that helpful and if intervention confined to air strikes and they do not deter Assad, WHAT THEN?

In my view, this is politicking at its very worst. For shame John and Joe.........

graysmoke

RELIGION vs RELIGION?

Is it the Mormons against the Evangelicals, Catholics, Pentecostals et al? That seems to be a major fault in the earthshattering rhetoric of the Republican candidates seeking to be the party nominee for President. Where are the major Protestant denominations in all this? They are strangely silent, maybe "thinking" - horrors - can't have that!!!!!!

THE unCIVIL WAR

Rush's non-apology says a lot more about his ego being much larger than his brain than it does about sincerity and genuine regret. The country has tolerated this ranter for far too many years - I hope he loses all air time and contracts.

What passes for responsibility in his book is quite strange, so what words would have been okay?

And we are to believe that he was trying to be funny? Wow, that's a stretch.

graysmoke

LIZ'S LOOSE LIPS

It just happened when I tuned in to C-span yesterday afternoon looking for something to watch on the tube, I caught a portion of a panel at the AIPAC conference and Liz Cheney, Jane Harmon and some Mid-East academic, (male) were the panelists.

The moderator gave free rein to Liz's venom revealing her hatred of President Obama, Harmon responded in disagreement with her but still that doesn't acquit Liz of what I consider treasonous language and you should have seen it and read her facial expressions. She was licking her chops at getting in that much scalding of the President. She called him Israel's worst enemy!!!!! Of course the hawks in the audience loved it.......at least that is my interpretation by the sound of applause, the camera did not show the audience so I don't know who or how many were at this particular event. There apparently were many on the schedule and others were to be shown later on C-Span, hopefully they would be more balanced.

graysmoke

A "MUST READ"

Since Netanyahou and the POTUS are meeting, this article provides background for understanding the significance of that.


http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2012/03/lawrence-wilkerson-middle-east-nancy-schoenberger-israel-iran-nuclear-weapons

Prepare yourself. Don't be an uninformed witness to history.

graysmoke

AGITATORS

This is my term for the likes of Limbaugh. He has been a woman hater for at least twenty years. Vitriol is his stock in trade. Now with the surplus of media coverage a la cable, the bait gets him just the sort of attention and controversy he craves. And on the internet you would not believe the extreme radical conspiratorial scenarios that are also spawned. The late Mr Breitbart belongs in the same category.

Twenty years ago on a motor trip across the midwest, we kept the radio on in order to listen for weather warnings, even back then there was always the possibility that one would need to get off the road because of hail and stormy loss of visibility. The only radio station that was receivable was one where Limbaugh reigned, I was ready to take the radio out and toss it, he was so anti-feminist even back then. I think he doesn't have a brain, just fat inside like the outside.

What Limbaugh should provoke is a campaign to totally ignore him.......he is like a kid that misbehaves in order to grab attention. The cable coverage is a sucker reaction.

graysmoke

FLUB FLUB FLUB

Maybe Romney wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth but I think maybe he was born with a PAIR of shoes in his mouth --- at least.

?Light his hair on fire? Mitt the word is "set". Then who can forget his "severely" conservative wording. Was that a teleprompter misread of "seriously" or a memory mid-life moment?

I am wondering if he has some weird brain wiring causing a speech disorder. Political aphasia? Well just cure it by taking those shoes out of the mouth.

graysmoke

VER-R-R-Y INTERESTING!!

Charlie Rose had Jon Huntsman on as guest for a second time --again as repository of knowledge regarding relations with China -- , and if ever the republicans could get unjacked from the extremists, he would be the man that should be the moderate Republican nominee. My feeling is that he left the campaign because he wouldn't be tainted by the Tea Party and ilk.

Maybe he would be the ideal third party draft choice. How can that be brought about?

ACCOLADES

My salute to Bob Kerrey.....I am thrilled that he is answering again, the call to serve his country and will run for the senate, the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Nelson, who has been a disappointment. Kerrey has my admiration for many reasons. He is to be respected for his college presidency and innovations in higher education. No post congressional service of influence peddling for him. Not on your life.

Senator Mitch McConnell better take cover.

I hope there is someone in Maine that will run for the seat being vacated by Senator Snowe, and sorry that the extremists in her party are forcing the moderate republicans off the public stage.

It is time the extremists meet their match.


graysmoke

DEBATE FINALE?

One can hope. It was a bore, more of the same old leftovers of previous rhetoric. They weren't quite as vicious towards President Obama last evening -- IMO. But they do cause concern in their incendiary, flaming attacks. I feel this way because there are many people living such stressful lives now - given the unemployment - the housing situation with evictions and foreclosures, homelessness ......that it seems to me that they might incite some poor unstable soul to take some regrettable action. These candidates are adults, they are responsible for results of their words and actions -- can we hope that they will start engaging the mind before further flapping of the lips?

Unlikely-------so that is why I hope there are no more debates. Now if there could just be a way to stop the negative ads. But that is going to take action in the future with a different composition of the Supreme Court, which is another reason this campaign time is so critical.

graysmoke

GRAVEDIGGERS

There is a new member and he is a fast shoveler, his name: Franklin Graham. He made the hole that is going to bury the Repunks, much deeper yesterday and it is very very deep as is, since McConnell, Boehner, and Santorum plus Gingrich have been digging away, taking turns with the spade. They get assists too, Palin and the folks at Faux channel.

It will be fun to see who falls in first.

SLICK RICK (S not P)

The two sides of Rick Santorum's mouth got a bit of practice today in his appearance on Face the Nation.

There was Radical Rick, and Slick Rick.......slithering and weaseling out of his rhetoric when Bob Schieffer directly asked him just what he meant. Quite a translation -- or a double speak demo.

The incendiary choices Slick Rick uses to demonize and deride the good man now holding the office of President, are extreme, that's radical Rick's ideology showing.

Slick Rick can try to slide out of what was said but those video recordings depict just what was put out there on the airways to hopefully increase the chance for him to become the nominee of the groups that now hold the republican party hostage.

When oh when are those moderate republicans going to wake up from their Rip Van Winkle rest and put in a belated appearance in this campaign .......or is going down to the wire with the crazies?

graysmoke

BIRTH RISKS

Are you sure you want someone as radical as Rick and Karen Santorum in the WH? I am certain that I don't.

Here's one reason that hasn't yet been explored much publicly.

They are irresponsible regarding realities of procreation. If my limited information is applied, then Mrs. Santorum had baby Gabriel when she was apparently in her mid forties. It is well known that the older the birth mother the more likelihood of birth defects in the offspring. They learned nothing it seems for then in her late forties, with increased possibility of birthing another baby severely defective, they had baby Bella.

Are they planning to write a book about Bella too......????

I find this abhorrent. It isn't as though they don't have children, they have a passle of them.

PERFECT CANDIDATE

The best interviewer in my opinion is Charlie Rose and I am a slave to his program, and what is more if he has something/someone really interesting - I watch it twice, once on Public Broadcasting and once on Bloomberg.

Yesterday the tape of his Tuesday interview with Jon Huntsman was part of the broadcast - and it wasn't in connection with Huntsman's previous campaign, he was a guest because of his position as our ambassador to China and it was to discuss the future president of China who is now visiting here, Vice President Xi Jinping I think is the gentleman's name. The information and delivery of knowledge by Huntsman was impressive. It carried the impact of inside knowledge, covered also how many times he had met with the China vice-president, under what circumstances he knew him and overall, insights that I don't believe anyone else could have offered.

It is just so puzzling when the Republicans have an ex-candidate of this caliber, why he was not supported, why weren't there millionaires besides his father, willing to bankroll his campaign?

The only answer is that he is not extreme enough to satisfy the appetites of the power groups that are currently steering the R party into oblivion and a well deserved defeat.

graysmoke

CONTRACEPTIVE CLASH

I feel a bit dizzy from all the spin this has received recently.
The attempt by the Catholic Church to maintain its myths is simply stunning. It is so ludicrous.

Actually though, this public brawl should move them a few years or even maybe just steps - toward the twenty-first century. They are getting desperate about losing their POWER.

Not about contraception availability or even the appearance of approval by having insurers provide choice.

graysmoke

"SEVERELY?"

Let's create an award for the most awkward political phrase in the 2012 presidential election campaigns.....so I nominate Mr. Romney's "severely conservative" description of his right wing position. Frank Luntz must be feeling sick to his stomach.......and Newt must be busy digging up his list of one hundred words to memorize and use in political rhetoric. I saw that somewhere recently - apparently Mr Romney must not have been on the mailing list way back when that was circulated.

This is only going to increase the public's view that Mr. Romney is irretrievably disconnected from ordinary life.

Let's all send him a Valentine Card. It could read, Mitt we love you severely.

graysmoke

BOPP'd

Ever wonder why the Supreme Court took the Citizens United case? Ever do some digging on the internet about how that group managed to hook the court into hearing this?

Here is what I understand. There is this attorney who has polished up a scheme to tailor cases to get selected for top court decisions.

It amounts to filing minor similar cases in as many lower courts as possible - thereby assuring that there will be conflicting decisions, and this latter is one of the conditions by which cases are selected for the Supreme Court. That's it. Of course there are some curious case connections among those on this subject of money equating speech and political figures. But I am not going to hand all this to you, go dig.

You have been emasculated, courtesy of Atty Jim Bopp!

graysmoke

PRETZEL POLITICS

The top contortionist featured in the circus now appearing in the House of Reprehensives is no less than Mr Boehner. His multiple spins have really screwed things up, most of all, him. Just try to apply reason or logic to any of the changing positions regarding the payroll tax extension and the traditional Republican eagerness for any tax reduction, but they are really into pretzel politics in a big way because of this being presidential election season.

Now Mr. B has to twist the insurance coverage regarding equality for women wishing to have a choice about choosing contraceptives into a war on religion, even digging up that old claim, when all else fail, say it is unconstitutional.

Yeah.......expecting everyone to respect individual rights to insurance coverage that does not exclude such is quite a trick.......I think Mr. B needs to go back to Florida, skip the golf at Naples swank hotel he favors and instead enroll in a class at Barnum & Bailey to learn more about juggling and plate spinning and acrobat skills.

graysmoke

?WAR On RELIGION?

Watch out for the spin on this one.........and the proclaimed opposition to the health care ruling isn't going to subside .......it is going to be a tsunami goaded along by the election year.

Churches already benefit from many exemptions not available to individuals. The property tax is one that is at the top of the heap.

If a religion wants to run a corporation then they must be treated the same as other corporations. I think the HHS ruling regarding conception is fine.......it must be applied equally across the board, it is not a war against the Catholic Church as Newt proclaims. If members weren't already practicing some form of contraception, there would be many more Catholics, and families with passels of children, this is only true where there reproduction information is suppressed. And is what keeps so many in those areas in state of extreme poverty. The Vatican wealth is obscene under these facts.......they hide behind the charitable operations and keep accumulating more wealth in many tax privileged ways.

It is time for them to pony up and not use emotional religious rhetoric to inflame the ignorant.

COURTING POLITICS

Ah, another hurdle jumped in Nevada......and the inevitable happened, money does it again. Is Romney sending thank you notes to Judge Alito and pals on the court for enabling all those negative ads financed with the dollars permitted by the Citizens United decision? If rightsies ever had an inclination to re-think a subject - this should qualify.

and it is one of the HUGE reasons to keep them out of the WH and from naming any more leaners to the Supreme Court, it is tippled badly as is.

ROMNEY'S QUIRK

Almost daily there is prove that Romney is not a "people" person. And why are we not surprised?

He is a dollar person, that is his true focus and has been for so many years, he will never be able to relate to the ninety-niners, maybe if we all were green and made of paper and had numbers on like, big, big numbers, he would sense our life situations.

Alas, that doesn't happen to be the case. In some ways I feel sorry for him. He probably has few true friends. Just acquaintances among the one percenters.

SPACED OUT

Gingrich's post primary response reaches an Everest of delusion and he skipped the courtesy call to congratulate Romney ----- now this may mean little to others, but to me it illustrates another feature of someone affected by hypomania, they can turn hostile and vindictive on a dime, so watch out........the ongoing campaigning will probably become even crazier.

Reading between the lines, I wonder if Romney's belated appearance, after his wife filled in post results, was because he was waiting for that call from Newt that never came. Romney had some odd facial expressions when he finally spoke and was on camera. At the time I wondered about that but hadn't known until later about the Gingrich snub.

Don't expect rationality henceforth in the coming campaign appearances, Newt is going to be going for the jugular. Sad that some journalist doesn't have the courage to mention Gingrich is so far out in space that he is dangerous to the country -- he wants to be crowned.

graysmoke

MEGA WHINING

Newt is screaming about the negative ads being run by Romney and his advocates.

Newt you have supplied them with adequate factual negatives, no need for any fabrications.

Gingrich will continue his obsession with becoming president which he has had since his college days as president of the campus republican organization, probably thought he was the BMOC of the era.

At least thousands of Floridians have silenced their interest in ads, they took advantage of early voting option. Those must be the smart residents of the state.

If his candidacy results in there being established a pre-inauguration medical certification that the one going into the oval office is both physically and mentally fit, that will be the only historically remarkable happening out of this whole event.

But what network or opposition candidate is going to press for this?

That too will be history making.

graysmoke

Elephants

The elephant in the room is alluded to so circumspectively........why? In this day and age when we are bombarded with talk about aids, viagra, erectile dysfunction, the G-spot, all sorts of sexual deviations, so why all the avoidance of talking about the brain and mental disorders? They are being skirted by remarks, saying Newt is unstable, zany, and any number of other descriptions of his lack of focus and his flights of fancy, his grandiosity......why isn't it acceptable to ask all candidates if they have had a psychological evaluation, or a diagnosis of an emotional, mental condition?

This should be a priority for candidates, especially when one has a relative of the first order with such history. and maybe too, when the age of Ron Paul, maybe a brain scan to see if any amyloids are developing that might dispose to Alzheimer's, we don't know a thing about whether any family members of his have had this common age development.

If they object to this, then they shouldn't run for the office of president, there is just too much at stake.

graysmoke

ANOTHER YAMMERING MATCH

In just about an hour the last debate prior to the Florida primary will be on the television and I will endure the rhetoric and listen and watch.......I am sure there will be no fresh new creative ideas but just spinning the same old songs.

I am grateful the Australia Open Tennis tournament has been on, offers great relief from the political arena. The tennis courts are places where you can't win unless you play the best match(s). Oh were that true in politics.

Only time will tell whether Newt will be in a mellow mood or a combative one, Santorum will still be trying to convince everyone he knows what is best for them to do as far as procreation and religion goes, Ron Paul will still be tugging at the hands of the clock to persuade time to go backwards and Romney will try to appear as just one of the guys, only he is the one with an obscene level of income, wealthy beyond imagination, gained by what I regard as an abusive practice of what once was capitalism.

Endurance is required to watch tonight.......Hoping Wolf Blitzer the moderator doesn't get his shoe stuck in his mouth as his colleague John King did on the last one presented over CNN.


graysmoke

My Version

For a state of the union to be representational I would have let the joint session, the cabinet, the military and all those assembled to be greeted with the following:

(HUGE SIGN): CLOSED FOR BUSINESS UNTIL THE REPUBLICANS CEASE OBSTRUCTION.

Then I would insist they all change seats, not sitting by anyone that they usually associate with and have an hours conversation and dismiss after that. This would take care of the ritual aspect.

Bid them farewell and go home and watch the AO.

THE 'FILTHY' RICH

Now we know ........Romney isn't in the race for the money.......he doesn't need any more.........

But his wealth so illuminates the loopholes afforded the wealthy that maybe the middle income and lower income will demand that those now be eliminated. Call your senator and representatives insisting that tax revision no longer be done on a band-aid basis.

Gingrich though is running for the ego trip and probably also the money-- he seemed in a more mellow mood during the latest yammering session, maybe Callie Lou slipped him a medication.

SOUNDS FAMILIAR

Here is a link to the House Ethics Committee report that resulted in Newt's reprimand and fine:


http://ethics.house.gov/sites/ethics.house.gov/files/House%20Report%20105-1_1.pdf

It sounds as if he is on the same wave length, talking during campaigning about teaching a course on Brain Science. This may be rooted in the fact that his mother was a manic depressive. She was also only sixteen when he was born --- the marriage lasted only three days, can it be that these anecdotal stories and what was probably a very insecure early childhood, not knowing where he belonged - contribute to his inability to honor oaths. Gingrich is his stepfather's surname. His mother married again when Newt was three. Again it can be surmised that a three year old may have not felt secure with a new "daddy".

In reading reports by a number of sources that have analyzed his tax returns, it certainly is reminiscent of his conniving when House Speaker.

This is not a man that can be trusted with the highest office of the land.

graysmoke

LET ME COUNT THE WAYS

The ways that voters can make crazy decisions. Or do we owe the Gingrich outcome in South Carolina to the Hail Mary pass tossed to him by CNN's John King at the debate --- okay the media did it, surely the voters are not using their brains but their guts. And Newty knows all about how to bamboozle......let's see he doesn't lobby, just consults and contracts......and not a bad profiteer either - I don't think he has paid back in taxes the amount he has sloughed off that Freddie Mac/Freddie Mae deal. He kept two thirds ---- what a slick character but oh, pardon - character doesn't matter. Not sure just what does with a SC voter. What level of higher education do the adults there have anyhow? I didn't catch that in all the demographic depictions on the magic walls --seems there might be a competition there too between CNN and MSNBC to see who can be the most techie.

Or could it be that the republicans know down deep they are going to lose to Obama Newt may as well be the sacrificial lamb. Is that why they really haven't been offering any electable candidates?


graysmoke

PRIMARY

Here I mean the role of NG's wife of the moment, his mannequin standing by the side of "her man" -- maybe hers and someone else's too?

John McCain comes to mind, with his trophy wife conned into appearing onstage constantly during his campaign. Occasionally she had something to say. But so far Callie Lou has been kept silent or chooses to do so. And I bet she and Newt both wish Marianne had made that choice. There's the attempt by his daughter's and even Newty Boy himself to dismiss this with "it was all a long time ago" --- now there's a new dodge, are we only responsible for what we did this year, this month, this week, LOL. Sounds sort of like the republicans not wanting to own up to the damages done to this country during the Shrub presidency. Or for that matter the damages being inflicted today by using the obstructionist tactics in Congress.

One must remember here, the pattern of this man's long history of not being able to remain loyal or uphold the marriage vow. All the spin and scrubbing in the world doesn't sanitize this.

So let's see how South Carolina assesses character and integrity in the voting booth today, the evangelicals try to clean it up with their redemption spin --- good luck.


graysmoke

? IRRELEVANT ?

Newt's theatrics last night consisted of one of his usual rhetorical tricks, deflect and parry.......sorry John King didn't call him on it.

His personal history is very relevant, it shows a total absence of integrity. If an individual can't fulfill the marriage oath, why would anyone expect him to take the oath of office of the POTUS seriously.

And about his tax return release ---- I hope someone follows up and verifies that is the one he actually files and that he doesn't amend it. He has proved he cannot be trusted.


graysmoke

PERRY EXITS

My view of Perry's campaigning is that he suffers from a pickled brain -- never any mention of whether he has had a history of heavy bottle tipping but all those brain freezes and slowed responses sure make me wonder.

The problem with his endorsement of Gingrich is that it comes at this time, right before the debate tonite and the primary on Saturday. So tonite we will be subjected to more time available to the remaining candidates to pontificate and probably also to tear at each other, it will be interesting to see how far Gingrich takes his targeting of Romney and what Romney will do in retaliation........the Nightline interview with one of NEWT'S former wives might add some fuel to the fire.

graysmoke

FROM BALLOT TO BLOCK

The auction block that is ---- accomplished courtesy of the conservative right influenced Supreme Court -- remember Judge Alito's shaking head? It looks like reality isn't on his side. Our individual votes are not what are going to determine election outcomes as long as this stupid decision is on the books.

Money is reigning supreme.

graysmoke

DIVORCE

Romney has the same flaw that Shrub had --- he is divorced from reality by his wealth bubble. And it sounds like he hasn't done anything careerwise for ten years except signing those tax returns he would like to keep private. Sorry Mitt, there is a price for public service.....that wall of wealth is going to become visible.

I wonder if he is counted among the unemployed? LOL Let's not employ him, he doesn't need the income or the over-the-top benefits.

Much has changed since he was in an active job position, a decade ago. Hot air is free....and there certainly is over consumption on that score among the candidates -- they can say they are going to do this or that without much question. Like the impossibility of Ron Pauls'desire to undo the whole government like some Tinker Toy creation ----not that simple but the younger crowd mesmerized by delusion.

Hopefully after the Saturday primary some of the candidates will have the good sense to desist, like Perry, Santorum the saint, and Gingrich the gullible. At least Jon Huntsman had the smarts to get out. Only thing wrong there is he is the only one that should have stayed. Go figure.

It looks like the party will have to swallow Mitt, the political orphan as far as the more conservative Repugs are concerned. They are choking on this.

graysmoke

ANTIDOTE

Here's a link for the yammering antidote needed after last evening's session on Faux:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/fact-checking-the-fox-news-wsj-debate-in-south-carolina/2012/01/16/gIQAVBuh4P_blog.html?hpid=z1


Now how many Faux devotees do you think are going to be interested in "just the facts, ma'am" a la the crime series long ago featuring "Friday".

graysmoke

PIRANHA FEAST/EATING THEIR OWN

South Carolina is going to be nasty ...... methinks.

Yes, I was surprised that all the hopeful nominees are continuing in the hunt.....I guess I was wishfully thinking that Gingrich, Perry and Santorum would discontinue the pursuit of their impossible goal but they are choosing to continue nibbling at Romney- this is mindboggling.....all those millions going to ads trying to upset the applecart.

Romney has the deepest pockets, nothing else is determinant. Sigh.

graysmoke

SUPERLATIVES

There are a bundle of them among the R candidates ---- but not necessarily positive superlatives......

Newt and Paul looked very bedraggled after the Iowa caucuses.......conclusion: neither have the physical stamina required to function in the office they seek.Gingrich also unstable and can turn on the vengeance full volume if crossed.

Ron Paul would be eighty years old at the end of a first term.......I do not thing age is going to be in his favor when votes are cast. And many of his ideas are also old and not doable. This is a larger and more complex world than when he formulated his dogmas.

Then there is Mitt -- the richest candidate ever and insulated from what passes as reality for the majority and it shows almost every time he opens his mouth.

Santorum should be on the Vatican payroll, he does more preaching and proselytizing in his stumping than a Sunday session - and again given the age we are living in - he is not going to resonate with enough voters to get to the White House. He is too wrapped up in his extreme positions to realize what harm he does to himself politically -- contrasts very sharply with how a democrat handled being Catholic (Kennedy).

Need I even mention the brain deficit evident every time Perry tries to sound informed?

The party has a very good alternative candidate Jon Huntsman....and he would be inoculated from some of the targeting in the general election, given his service as ambassador, but the R's are too busy hating Obama to perceive this political advantage.

It will be very interesting today to see the results of the first primary in New Hampshire.

graysmoke

ENDURANCE

Can a conscientious voter survive the yammering sessions? Saturday and Sunday, two consecutive days, fed us an overload of political hot air -- is this going to result in a climate change in Washington D.C.'s performances? These are so loosely labeled as debates. They bear no relation to the formal meaning of that word.

These have become an entertainment diet. High in calories, deficient in nutrition.

Probably things are only going to escalate as the country inches to the November presidential election. After the New Hampshire primary tomorrow though, we may have fewer participants, that is if any have the good sense to drop out when they haven't a tinker's chance of getting the Repug nomination.

A voter needs to blow just as hard to separate the chaff from the wheat ---- little hope of much truth in any of the crop.


graysmoke

Re-inCAINation

Herman has risen.........that super ego just couldn't resist resurrection. He is so narcissistic that he thinks an endorsement by him for some candidate or non-candidate (Palin?) matters.

And he plans a bus tour. Am I too naive to hope the media will ignore this.......nope I am not, they will very probably slavishly cover every second of it.

Is he so delusional that he hopes at least for a cabinet position?

Well who knows, hard to figure out the crazies.


graysmoke

UGLY POLITICS

We are seeing the underbelly of what was once a political party. I think it needs to be renamed, let's see ---- maybe anagram it to the PCC or phony conservative Christians party.......or the SMP, for selfish, mercenary party.......but this is so far to the right that it is off that scale.

Claws are exhibited by the PAC's---and they are snarling vociferously.......these entities are supposed to be separate from the candidate. That is a farce. Their relatives can establish them and do. Where is all this going to end.......will there be a third party, maybe the P.O.R.S.P.F. - Party of Reason and Sanity. Publicly Funded .

Well I can dream, can't I? That is what America is for, problem is I have trouble believing that this dream can be achieved - human nature being what it has become or maybe always was, which I doubt-- or we could never have had our brilliant moments in the history of our past.

The baby got thrown out with the bath when we weren't looking. Let's go find that baby.

graysmoke

INDOCTRINATION

Let's be candid and blunt. Santorum is an indoctinated Catholic, his personal choices and beliefs are not universal and he is wrong in trying to impose his to everyone else.

It puzzles me how much conservatives hate government, yet want the government to make laws that apply to situations of private lives that the government should not be involved with.

Let us hope there will be enough voters in New Hampshire to eliminate him as a possible nominee........

graysmoke

WHAT A DIFFERENCE.......

a day makes, or make that a couple of hours. When I went to bed it seemed Santorum had won the Iowa caucases and when I got up a couple of hours later, courtesy of my RLS, I find out Romney pushed him back to second by eight (8) votes.

Yes, that Romney, the nominee nobody wants, or at least his party doesn't want to own him ---- now why should this surprise anybody.

So on with the election circus. How many bucks did the cable media spend covering just this night of activity ----- no one is telling as far as I know but I bet it is a heck of a lot more than what all the superPAC's added together, spent.

Really hard to tell just how many of the anchor type heads were in Iowa or otherwise, the ability to seam all regardless of geography is sometimes masked cleverly.

Poor Michele, she insists she will persist. And Gingrich is now out for revenge on all the attack ads that he is thinking caused his loss. My thinking is that even if there had been no PAC attack ads centered on him, he would have lost either way -- it will be interesting to see when he chickens.

But it is going to be a long long long time until November.

I would like to see report on President O'bama's webcast with his caucus - wonder if C-Span picked it up.


graysmoke

WHO'S TO SAY?

If the CNN broadcast for New Year's with AC and KG is any barometer - we are indeed in trouble if this passes for comedy. And yes, I know I am dated but really I am of sound mind.

Where oh where are the likes of Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett, or Lucille Ball?

Kathy Griffin doesn't get anywhere near my funny bone.

And the new techy ball........one couldn't tell that was the traditional drop for all the advertisers ----- and even if they weren't totally distracting, I think the thing would bomb on its own.......so it is energy efficient.......who cares when done only once a year. That isn't going to do much to put us on a sustainable energy path......

My afterthoughts are that I would feel better this first day of 2012 if I had abandoned the show and listened to anything else.......

At least it provides me a an easy resolution for next year!

LOL----only one more thing...........it was bad enough to keep me awake!


graysmoke