McCAIN GOES ON THE RECORD AGAIN ABOUT CHENEY AND TORTURE

John McCain on Face the Nation: "I think the interrogations were in violation of the Geneva conventions and the conventions on torture that we ratified under President Reagan. I think these interrogations, once publicized, helped Al Qaeda recruit. I got that from a top Al Queda operative in a prison camp in Iraq....I think that the ability of us to work with our allies was harmed. And I believe that information, according to the FBI and others, could have been gained through other members."

Despite his willingness to oppose and disagree with former Vice President Cheney, who has been in complete denial over the course of a two month media blitz (this morning he got the usual Fox news full body massage from Chris Wallace), McCain does not agree with Eric Holder's appointment of an investigation team.

I think the President was right when he stated that we should be looking forward, and not backward. I worry about the morale and effectiveness of the CIA. I worry about this thing getting out of control and us harming our ability to carry out the struggle we are in with radical Islamic extremism"

Interesting choice of words from the senior Senator from Arizona...."I worry about this thing getting out of control...." Do you mean tying up the beltway with a nasty investigation? The former administration claiming executive privilege for everyone but the janitor? How about criminal prosecutions? How about John Yoo and Jay Bybee sweating bullets as they are getting grilled by Al Franken and the Senate judiciary?

How about the truth coming out? We tortured. We tortured the enemy just because we could in some cases. We tortured people hundreds of times each in a couple of cases. And yes, we tortured people to death. Obviously, former VP Cheney has the stomach for this...he has stated as much on numerous occasions, even going so far as to say he is proud of this work. Obviously, McCain is not proud of it at all, and who knows more about torture and being held in captivity than John McCain?

"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives,

and the dreams shall never die"

THE TEDDY MOST NEVER KNEW

But for Chappaquiddick, he most certainly would have been a President of the United States. What kind of President? Ultra-liberal to be sure. Heavy on civil rights, human rights and on social programs, much in the same manner as his brothers.

What the name Teddy Kennedy will conjure up is largely a manifestation of your political views. For conservatives, Chappaquiddick will overshadow everything. For liberals, their post-seventies memories will focus on a lifetime of public service and as the family patriarch of the Kennedy family; the glue that held them all together, through unprecedented heartaches.

What many do not know is the childhood young Ted, the youngest of the clan was subjected to by a family obsessed with over-achievement and perfection. A childhood spent in the shadows of brothers smarter and more handsome, and ultimately more successful. Ted was the victim of parental low expectations from early on, and how could he not be considering the powerhouse siblings he followed.

Ted was never an outstanding student (he received numerous letters from his mother Rose in regards to his proper use of English), never as driven as his other family members, and perhaps his biggest Kennedy cross to bare...pudgy. As driven as the Kennedy family was to perfection, they were equally driven to paint a picture of a happy, healthy athletic family, and Ted just never fit the picture in any way.

So when I think back towards the perils of Uncle Teddy, and there were many......I like to think of his troubled childhood, the monumental grief and loss he experienced, and the total tonnage of expectations that were heaped upon him. Expectations and a troubled childhood that were the precursors for his bouts with drugs, alcoholism and womanizing that were made on a very, very public stage.

When I think of Teddy Kennedy, I choose to remember a lifetime spent in the Senate championing the causes of the little guy and the disadvantaged; health care for all, curing education issues, and fighting for equal rights for all minorities, despite the pressure he surely received back in his lily white Massachusetts. This is especially true for his work on immigration, not a favorite topic with the Irish Catholics in the boroughs.

Remember what you will. I choose to remember one of the larger than life figures in the history of the United States Senate, and someone who made a demonstrable difference in the lives of millions.

MORE $ FOR MORE CLUNKERS?

Considering the arguable success of the "cash for clunkers" program with the auto industry, the Energy department is gearing up for a cash for clunker program involving "high efficiency" appliances; dishwashers, refrigerators, washer / dryers and the like.

The focus being to spur on business for appliance manufacturers and retailers, and getting rid of energy guzzling appliances in favor of Energy Star rated appliances. The nation boosts sales, and reduces energy consumption.

The trouble with this concept, is the big box retailers have already reduced profit margins on all appliances with little to no effect. Also, consumers do not have any concept of, or appreciation of the energy consumption their older appliances gobble up; and in fact, the savings is marginal for a single user as opposed to the effect on the nation as a whole.

In my humble opinion, any additional "cash for clunkers" program must be green related to justify its existence....dual pane windows, rebates on residential solar panel systems, tankless water heating systems, and the like. This will decrease our nation's energy consumption, and increase revenues to manufacturers that will have to create jobs to fulfill the demand.

As vulnerable as the appliance manufacturers are at present, they have to downsize and get over it....at least until they come up with innovations the consumer cannot live without...that's their challenge to survive.

As I have noted before in previous postings, if there is one business sector that has benefitted from the economic downturn, it is any one who takes an existing product and repairs or alters them to be like new (appliance repair, tv repair, computer repair and upgrades, shoe repair, auto mechanics, etc.). Clearly we have emerged from the "everything is disposable" period and realized that repairing can make financial sense. And in my opinion, the government should not spend money trying to change this paradigm.

LICENSE, REGISTRATION & MAKE A FIST

This new Texas law allows the police to obtain a blood draw without a search warrant if you are involved in a traffic accident under three conditions...you have a child in the car, you have previous DUI convictions or if someone is injured in a crash.


Needless to say, if you are looking for stories of a state reducing personal liberties and attacking the constitution, all you need to do is look to Texas. But my liberal views aside....if this saves one life, I am OK with it (grimace), as concerned as I am to give law enforcement more power. Not only power, but police will be taking the blood draws themselves.....this is a very controversial new law that is going to be headed to the Texas Supreme Court like a bullet.
The most interesting part of this new law? Texas' laws on the books currently which are extremely liberal on (loaded) gun possession and open containers in vehicles......

HE PAINTED A LIFE WITH PICTURES

I knew him for over fifteen years, but not very well. In retrospect, I wonder if anyone did. We worked together in the same company, and the same region. Saw each other once a month; hey how's it goin'?

He wasn't a ray of sunshine, but he was smart, well dressed, and didn't make waves. Funny at times.....well more sarcastically amusing more than funny. He called me a few times for a translation into the latest corporate directions at work. He was old school and needed someone he could be honest (and sarcastic) with without committing career suicide. I was glad to be that guy at times, although I wondered if he truly confided in me. I was always a leader of the group. Probably thought my ties with upper management were stronger than my ties with him. He was right.

We weren't really friends, more like associates, but I thought he was a good man. A family man who always displayed more than the usual amount of family photos around his desk than most. I liked that. When he talked about his family, he seemed to change in demeanor in a good way. Talk of work got him down, as if he had more than the usual managerial weight on his shoulders. people cope with pressure in different ways, I told myself. He'd survive...he always had, he always would. Sitting at his desk and peering over the vast amount of family pictures around his office wall told me what I needed to know about Mark, he had his priorities straight....do what you needed to do at work, then go home to the family he apparently loved so dearly.

I think about those pictures a lot lately. He had so much to be proud of, or so I thought. He had at least a dozen compared to my two or three...what is wrong with ME? I have to admit, I always wondered of the public photo gallery wasn't a bit over the top in the work place...

He had so much to live for. He had a lot going for him, at least personally. Professionally he had hit the ceiling. So when he left the company for something new and promising, I was glad for him. He had paid his dues, and deserved something more. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out, so he returned to us in a lesser position....for a couple of days, then he left us. And that was the last I heard from, or of Mark.

I don't know what happened first..... life gave up on Mark, or Mark gave up on life. A little of both i would suspect... I don't know the details and I am not about to ask. Wouldn't even know who to ask. We found out about his funeral in a local paper. Many attended, I could not. Too busy...besides, we weren't close. There must have been people closer to him that would pick up my slack. Someone he played golf with, knew his family, was there when he needed a friend. I hope so. It wasn't me, or anyone I knew.

He had no right to give up on life. I don't know how anyone gets to that place. He had family, I think he had friends. I knew he had people who would have helped him....I was one of them.

He had no right to give up on life, not with people in his corner unwilling to give up on him. I have no clue what led him to believe life would be better without him. I don't know what events led up to stripping him of his self esteem and self worth. I don' get it. I just don't get it. Maybe it was because he no longer had his desk with all those family pictures to look at each day.

I am afraid to die, I freely admit it. Don't want to go. I intend to go kicking and screaming. Doesn't mean I will give up my bad habits, or start eating All Bran and jogging ten miles a day, but I don't want to go.

He had no right to give up on life, but from what I heard, he did. And as fast as a bullet can pierce your body, he was gone. I don't get it. All I know is what little I have heard, and I don't have anyone to ask. Found out about his funeral services in the local paper a day before they were to be. Obviously, he had gone fifteen years working with us, and we never got to know him. Hey Mark, how's it goin'?

Who knows what is hidden behind the walls we put up as we go through life. You think you know people, you show a casual interest, and go on with your life. We walk by so many others like unfeeling zombies, thinking we know each other. Not knowing some of them need help. Never knowing until it is too late. He had no right to give up on life. Not when he had so much going for him. Not when those pictures clearly show he had others counting on him....depending on him.....loving him. He had no right to give up on life and I just don't get it. How's it goin? I wish he had really answered the question...

TAKE THE HEALTHCARE QUIZ

The Democratic health care plan will....

pay for abortions

allow the country to decide who lives and who dies

will pay for illegal aliens

will be unaffordable

will put the insurance companies out of business

will reduce the quality of physician care

will force you to wait months for an M.R.I.

will be an exact carbon copy of England's and Canada's

will require new taxes

will leave Americans with no choice for their health care providers

DO A LITTLE RESEARCH AND MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND

Liskula Cohen Forces Google To Reveal Anonymous 'Skank' Blogger's Identity

Liskula Cohen Forces Google To Reveal Anonymous 'Skank' Blogger's Identity: "Model Liskula Cohen sued Google in January in the hope of forcing the company to reveal the person responsible for allegedly defamatory comments on a blog called Skanks in NYC, which was hosted by Google's Blogger service.
'I would have to say the first-place award for 'Skankiest in NYC' would have to go to Liskula Gentile Cohen,' the anonymous blogger wrote. 'How old is this skank? 40 something? She's a psychotic, lying, whoring, still going to clubs at her age, skank.'
Cohen, who is actually 37, believed the posts were defamatory but was forced to take action against Google in order to unmask the blogger's identity before she could take further action."

While I certainly believe anyone should be able to get relief through the courts for slander and libel, I am concerned about the frivolous, minor law suits this precedence may instigate. Although I never held that I had the right to blog in complete anonymity and believe I post in a forthright manner, I am concerned that this will effect others who use Blogger to publish their blogs. Short of this type of cyber bullying (the blogger only posted five posts, all involving incendiary comments about Ms. Cohen), I would hope that the identity of bloggers be left unpublished, if so desired, unless egregious and malicious text has been found.
What can this type of precedent lead to? The defense states this could "open the floodgates" for all sorts of blog related civil actions. One example? In January, a landlord filed a law suit against a Chicago woman when she tweeted that her apartment was "moldy." The suit claimed the tweet damaged the properties reputation, even though the woman only had 20 followers at the time.
Will Blogger comply with the courts direction, or choose to seek relief and reversal in a higher appeals court? Only time will tell.

SCALIA QUOTED IN DISSENT TODAY

"This court has never held that the constitution forbids the execution of a convicted defendant who has had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince habeas court that he is "actually" innocent. " SCOTUS today in re: Troy Anthony Davis writ of habeus corpus

SPIN THIS

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRDS SCREAM

At base level I am at heart a child of the seventies with a love of all things political. The memories of Vietnam protests are still burnt in my memory, which helped form my deep love of politics...so much so I majored in political science in college.

I grew up with the Weather Underground, Abby Hoffman, the Chicago Seven trial and the SLA. I have seen this country go from Kennedy and King to the election of the first Black President, and everything in between. I have seen the devastation and aftermath of natural calamities and I have cowered in front of the television as my parents watched live reports of the Watts riots, an area all too close to where we lived. The act of protest is, and always has been, a part of free speech and an engaged electorate. But until now I had yet to detect the stench...the palpable stench of fear I see that exists across this country at present.

As I watch each health care town hall meeting, I have seen the usual protests, of course. But I have also seen fear. I have witnessed American citizens who still bare the scars from 9/11 in fear. We have all seen these angry, out of control citizens screaming and interrupting the meetings out of fear, and a desperate sense that this time..... this one time they have to be heard and they will be heard, because this once great republic they grew up loving is at risk. At risk, and they are terrified. Possibly for the first time in their adult lives, they are scared that the dream of this great republic might be in jeopardy. And these for the most part, are not organized nut jobs. A lot of them are tax paying good guys who are scared. Scared and ignorant, pushed and emboldened by the bully pulpit media who tell them to fear. Fear and hate, and that is a dangerous combination. The kind of fear, hate and ignorance that gets large groups of people to listen, and believe damn near anything.

This is about more than just health care. This is about broad stroke philosophies of government that strike at the core of our nation. The majority of these town hall protesters aren't political savvy operatives. I get the feeling many of these voices are coming from concerned citizens suddenly awakened, and suddenly engaged. These are good people answering a clarion call from extremists who have been given a pulpit over our airwaves, and because they have these public pulpits, it gives them a degree of legitimacy, and a perceived level of intelligence they may or may not hold.

I say it's time for America to get a grip on their emotions and stop listening to every ignorant voice on the Internet and in the media. Stop listening to the ignorant voices who claim Obama is both a socialist and fascist (an impossibility by definition, by the way), and a Hitler incarnate.

It's time for the base of America to do a little research and listen to some saner, quieter, more intelligent voices. The ones who don't preach hate and gloom and doom. Maybe this is the only way for America to get its collective confidence back, and maybe even a little of its swagger back. There is nothing, but nothing that will slow down the economy faster, or prolong the recession than a nation without the confidence to re-enter the market and the confidence to go out and spend a couple of bucks.

I see positive signs already in the market......I see an administration that cares, and wants to find a middle ground, a bi-partisan effort to get this country back on its feet. I also see an opposition that wants it to fail. Wants it to fail because it is the best way for them to win, even if it results in additional body blows to our countries well being.

Things are getting better... or at least aren't getting any worse, and that is a blessing in itself considering where we were headed a scant 200 days ago.

True recovery will take time, but we should have a little more confidence in our government, and the people we have elected to serve us. At least we should have a little more confidence in our Senators than we do in these radio and TV zealot entertainers and reactionaries who are trying to convince middle America and our middle class that we are turning into Fascist Germany, for gawd sakes.

We have all heard the famous quote..."the only thing we have to fear...is fear itself." I am not sure if that applies any more. The only thing we have to fear, is fear and ignorance itself. Wake up America. Wake up, have a little confidence, and do a little research. And believe. Not in hope, not in change, but in a still proud nation that won't let a little hard times destroy it, or get us down. We still are that proud nation. We still are that world leader that everyone looks to when times are a little rough. And I'll be damned if I am going to let eight years take that away from us. We'll be back. Bigger, brighter, and healthier than ever. And I for one, am going to take that confidence to the bank. God bless you, and may God continue to bless America.

And that is the world...."The World According to Kimba." Thanks for reading.

2 GOVERNMENT PONZI SCHEMES THAT NEED FIXING FIRST

A ponzi, or pyramid scheme is really very simple. You take investors money promising a payoff in the future, and pay the oldest investors off with revenues from the newer investors. Works well, as long as the new investors out number the older, existing investors. Unfortunately for Social Security and Medicare, the newer investors are starting to not outnumber the older investors, thanks to a generational "baby boomer" bubble which hit last year.

While it may be a bit of an over exaggeration to call these two government programs ponzi schemes, comparisons can certainly be drawn. Social Security has been saved due to the reduction of benefits, and an increase in the ages you can receive benefits......a clever twist to be sure; keep moving the target date in which your older investors can start to realize the benefits they were promised initially. Even with these changes, older investors will begin to outnumber newer investors in 2016, and if left alone, will go bankrupt in 2037.

Medicare is another story entirely, it kicks in when an investor reaches a certain age and officially retires from the workforce. Medicare has been paying out more than it is taking in already (starting last year), and experts say Medicare will go under in 2017. These estimates are drawn on the inevitable fact that the bubble of investors reaching retirement age is ever expanding through the baby boomer generation, and will statistically get worse over the course of the next decade. The only possible saviors to Medicare are three fold.......an increase in workers delaying retirement and working into their seventies (which is happening), an increase in investor deaths before the age of 65 (which is not), or raising additional revenue through taxes (which may be inevitable to insure the programs solvency). A fourth option...an almost unthinkable option is to withhold tests and health care services through the authorization process, thus saving money.

This year alone, medicare is covering over 45 million of our elderly and disabled citizens, and without this program it would be a health care crisis for them of staggering proportions. Clearly as more and more Americans, who have paid into this system in good faith begin to retire, we must take steps to insure they can reap the benefits of a program they have paid into every time they have drawn a pay check.

That being said, with these programs reaching insolvency relatively quickly, it must be asked why we are even considering a health care insurance system prior to tackling these hurdles. I have yet to hear this argument expressed in Congress (at least by any GOP leader...unfortunately a current oximoronic term), and should be voiced loud and clear amid the present low brow "Obama is Hitler" demonstrations at our town hall meetings.

President Obama has pledged to look into Social Security and Medicare as soon as we resolve our health care debate. I say we need to discuss the current programs before adding on another enormous program. I am all for a national health care system, but the timing is just not right. First things first.

And that is the world...."The World According to Kimba" Thanks, as always for reading.

PROOF POSITIVE THAT VOTERS PREFER THEIR PRESIDENTS TO BE LEFTIES

No, it's not idealogical....it's National Left Handers Day!! Towards this end, can you name the last 4 Presidents who were (are) left handed? You can find the answers by clicking on the word "comment" below.

Extra credit? OK, in the 20th century we have elected eight left handed Presidents...name them.

TOWN HALL MEETINGS BRING OUT THE NUT JOBS

I don't get it. One is a madman who orchestrated mass genocide on the Jews, and aspired towards world domination. The other is a man who wants to make sure everyone in America can afford to go the doctor without declaring bankruptcy. Could it be that you have drank the kool-aid and actually believe the scare tactics of an Obama death panel, a modern day Hitler T4 program (see the destruction of lives unworthy of life). Preposterous. It's preposterous to think the Obama administration is seeking a modern day genocide of the elderly through "mercy deaths." And equally preposterous that our government actually values the almighty dollar over human life.

Also strange is the caption "I've changed"...it's not like his desire to change our broken healthcare system wasn't a major focus in every single stump speech he delivered for over a full calendar year....so how has he changed? It is estimated that over 38 million Americans have no health insurance, a minimum of 9 million of those being children. So how can you not want to find an afforable program to cover them?

THE FINANCIAL TRUTH ABOUT OBAMA'S FIRST 200 DAYS

Anyone questioning the effectiveness of the Obama administrations attempt at righting the U.S. financial ship (which was taking on significant amounts of water pre-Obama), should read this article from London's Financial Times (link). Here is a portion of the article which clearly spells out the current state of financial affairs in the U.S.....

"...his stimulus bill has clearly made a significant contribution to stabilizing the economy since its passage in February. His cap and trade bill to reduce carbon emissions passed the House of Representatives in June. He has set in motion significant overhauls of the financial regulation and health care.

Second quarter gross domestic product declined by only one percent, compared to 6 percent in the first quarter. House prices have stopped falling, and in some markets, are actually rising; sales in new homes actually jumped 11 percent from May to June. Big banks are recovering, and some have made enough profit to pay back the borrowed TARP funds. The S & P 500 index is up 48 percent from its low in early March. Best of all, the nation lost the fewer jobs in July than most pundits predicted. The unemployment rate has actually declined slightly to 9.4% (much to the conservatives chagrin, who predicted 10%).

Are we out of the woods yet? Clearly not, although there is plenty of statistics to suggest President Obama has stopped the bleeding. Needless to say, the recovery program has involved significant amounts of spending, some of which, such as TARP and the bailout of some financial institutions, we fully expect to recover, and are already receiving some pay backs from the larger banks already. The much maligned "cash for clunkers" auto buy back program has proven to be a huge success, riding our landscape of older high polluting vehicles, getting cash back into the economy, and the only current issue is spot shortages of automobile inventories at local participating car dealerships. Is an income tax hike in the offing? Maybe. It would be a short term solution to reducing the deficit, although small enough on the lower to middle class to have a marginal effect on economic sales growth. Clearly, our financial health will get a much needed shot in the arm once we reduce the amount of money spend waging two "wars" in the Middle East, which has, and continues to be draining our economy.

Out of the woods? Not nearly, although considering the positive numbers in our economy today, it night be a decent time to consider moving a small portion of our portfolios back into the stock market in smart, conservative blue chip stocks. Anyone who follows the market has seen significant increases in some sectors, and anyone smart enough to buy B of A has reaped major profits.

The point being that it is time for the nation to get their chins up, and be more positive about the future. All of this negative rhetoric is only serving to delay our recovery. If we can achieve a paradigm change in attitudes, consumer confidence will grow and 3rd quarter numbers will be even more positive than the 2nd. Out of the woods? No, but we are clearly on our way.

PALIN FINDS WORK AS A POLITICAL MIS-INFORMATION TOOL

Wonder what Sarah Palin will be doing now that she has quit her part time position as Governor of Alaska? She will be a paid mouthpiece and personal political hatchet-woman for the GOP, specializing in misinformation, half truths and full-on lies.

For example...Palin last week...."I am quitting my job as Governor to protect my children from being used as political tools of the left." Pathetic to say the least. For the record, then candidate Obama never once addressed her family situation with her daughter's unwed pregnancy.

This week is even a bigger crock...."The Democrats promise that a government health care system will reduce health care costs, but as economist Thomas Sowell has pointed out, government health care will not reduce the cost, it will simply refuse to pay the cost. And who will suffer most when they ration care? The sick, the disabled, and the elderly, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my child with Downs Syndrome will ever have to stand in front of Obama's "death panel" so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgement of their "level of productivity in society," whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil."

It should be pointed out first and foremost, that she has now reached an enviable level of bullshit production, and more importantly, if this ludicrous scenario were to come to pass, a worthless piece of crap like Ms. Palin best not even get so much as a hangnail, lest the Obama death squad pass judgement on her own "level of productivity in society," a test she is now all but certain to fail.

The truly sad thing is, a lot of the elderly will believe this bad Twilight Zone plot. Good Lord, the level of the GOP's despiration is awe inspiring. When you get your ass kicked in the last election, you go back to what worked in the past....make them scared. Really really scared.

THE CLINTONS: POTENTIALLY AN UNBEATABLE FOREIGN AFFAIRS TEAM

Great article in MSNBC about the Clinton tag team being in motion once more. For those of you who have yet to read your evening paper...President Bill Clinton, foreign affairs expert and political genius, is currently in North Korea and has secured the releases of the two American Journalists tried and charged with espionage. Whether or not they deserve it is another story entirely.

Now for the three morons who hiked in Iranian territory and are about to be tried for spying; not even the genius of Bill Clinton could possibly get them clemency. Yes, we are a super power in the world, but these morons have to understand we simply cannot go around the world begging...or worse, bartering political capital attempting to secure their release after commiting incredibly stupid deeds.

I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY....

Long time, no blog my friends. I just have very little to say, or anything going on that holds my interest at all....sorry. Palin quits for the promise of a radio show? Who cares? Health care stuck in, and being completely watered down in congress? Doesn't matter. I don't even think Obama wants a health care package to pass...he needs the issue more for his congressional libs to get elected on next year. Wants to hang any failure on the conservatives...that's why he is shotgunnin' so many large initiatives into the congressional hourglass.

Iran? Iraq? Pakistan? Let's get out of the way and let them kill each other. Glenn Beck says Obama is a bigot? He isn't worth my time. Harvard prof fails the cop attitude test and gets arrested? The cop and the prof share a table and a beer on the White House lawn? Whatever....really ignorant...but whatever.

It's August now, and something will happen for sure. August is never quiet. Did you know more wars are started in August than any other month? Something will come up; but for now, I am in a heavy election / inauguration / depression hangover. Kind of like a slumbering bear. And that's the world...according to Kimba.

DID YOU HEAR THE ONE ABOUT THE MAYOR, THE RABBI AND THE ORGAN TRAFFICKER?

No, it's not the start of a dirty joke, it's real. And, call me the King of schadenfreude, but there is something very amusing and somewhat pleasing to me about the FBI arrests in New Jersey recently. Actually it was three mayors, a council president, three state assemblymen, numerous other lesser public officials and five rabbis, charged with money laundering, corruption and even a little organ selling. And I bet they all either ran on anti-crime platforms, or sermonized about morals and integrity. You gotta' love New Jersey. The shock is it took the FBI ten years to catch them.

WHO YOU CALLIN' STUPID, SIR?

OK, so you are looking out your window at your neighbors house, and you spot two men trying to forcibly open the front door. When that doesn't work, you see them checking windows and going around to the back. Do you (a) let it go, and go back to watching Judge Judy, (b) call the police, or (c) determine your response by the color of the skin of the two men trying to gain entry into the house.

OK, question number two. You are a policeman on a call of two men trying to enter a house through windows, and going to the back of the house. Do you (a) let it go, and go back to eating donuts, (b) arrest the two men who were witnessed trying to gain entry into the house (who are now inside), or (c) determine your actions based on the color of their skin.

OK, question number three. You lost your keys, came home and started looking for a window, or back door to gain entry into your home, when the police are called to the scene and start to ask you questions. Do you (a) realize if you actually had your keys this would not be happening at all, and they are just responding to a call of men trying to break into a house, (b) be offended that they are asking you questions based on the fact that you had to attempt a key less entry, or (c) determine that if you were a white man, the neighbor would not have called the police, and even if they had, the police would just give you the secret white mans handshake and go on their way.

OK, question number four. You are the President and you are asked about the incident. Do you (a) stand by the police, who responded to the call and were just doing their jobs, (b) stand by the homeowner who had to answer questions about why he had to look for an open window or door to gain entry into his house, or (c) determine your response based on the color of the homeowners and police officers skin.

If you answered (c) to any or all of the questions, you are a blatant bigot, and your actions are furthering the racial divide in this country and are in fact...acting "stupidly." If you are an Ivy league graduate, and cannot summon up the gray matter necessary to see the events clearly enough without bringing in race into the issue, I don't know what to say for you.

If you are the President, go after the police officers at a televised news conference, and say they acted "stupidly," then attempt to back track your actions by saying,

"What I'd like to do then is make sure that everybody steps back for a moment, recognizes that these are two decent people, not extrapolate too much from the facts--but as I said at the news conference, be mindful of the fact that because of our history, because of the difficulties of the past, you know, African Americans are sensitive to these issues," then invite all parties to the White House for a beer, then you sir, are a racist moron, and desperately need to attend the Joe Biden School of Public Speaking.

What possible message are you sending out, sir? You, who prides himself on staying "cool" under pressure, and using your command of the English language to accurately and succently convey your thoughts and feelings. Mr. President, you'd better get a grip on your horses, sir. You have taken a small local issue, and purposely turned it into a national debate, one which will absorb a weeks worth of news cycles, at a time when you need to focus on much larger issues.

And that is the world.....The World According to Kimba. Thanks for reading.

HISTORY LESSON

According to a recent poll, the percentage of Americans who favor President Obama's job performance in his first 5 months have dropped down to 57%. The poor man has barely gotten his feet wet in the position, and the spoiled, lazy American electorate are ready to start throwing in the towel on Obama because he couldn't fix things in his first 5 months. Because things got worse before they get better. Because he had to spend money on the right things, because of the direction the economy was going, having spent a fortune on the wrong things. Maybe, it is time for a little history lesson, my friends.

Here is what this poor man got elected into. An administration, and eight years of Congress that spent money like drunken sailors. Practically cornered the market on pork. Wasted tons of cash and got nothing...literally nothing to show for it. Squandered vast sums of money fighting a war we never should have engaged in, and to this day we still can't get an accurate accounting of where it all went.

But here is what we do know...what they told us. "We won't need a lot of troops.....Iraqi oil will pay for the war....After the first year, they will welcome us as liberators.....Things will get better after we get Saddam.....then when we get Saddam's kids......then things would get better after we got Zarkawi......And after a while, the whole mess wouldn't turn into a brutal civil war....and oh, yes...the classic....Mission Accomplished." This is what the Clinton surplus was squandered on, and by who.

But that is not all. Everyone thought the bubble would never burst. Let's keep financing to the hilt, and flip homes, they'll always go up. You can't lose in real estate. It isn't the price, it's the terms. So, real estate and escrow companies flourished...selling new mortgages they knew the buyers couldn't afford, and talking people into crazy loans like no down, interest only........five year adjustables...........just keep writing paper guys, because we make money everything we write paper. Real estate over-valued? Re-finance and pull out equity......your house will never go down. Pull out the equity, finance it at 5% and invest the money in the market, you'll make money. No one makes money off the equity in your home.....it's the worst place to put your money...a very poor investment. Let's get greedy.

So, the loans go south. AIG, the largest corporation around, an absolute financial octopus with its tentacles in every financial sector, starts to go belly up. Banks default. The auto dealers start to whine because as the price of gas goes up, so do their inventories of F-150's, SUV's and Hummers. Investment houses go under, or are propped up.

Health care costs continue to rise, medicaid is choking us, social security is getting closer and closer to a baby boomer bust, unemployement is around 8%, productivity is way down, our borrowing is at record highs, our education system is a mess and our infrastructure is literally crumbling. So, let's keep sending our money to the desert. And give a tax cut to the top 3% of American earners...in the hopes the money will "trickle down." Did you feel it? The only "trickle" I felt was getting urinated on by the previous administration. And the Clinton surplus is now a record Bush deficit.

So here comes the "Messiah." to fix all our troubles in his first 5 months in office. What an unrealistic and ignorant expectation. 43% actually are unhappy with his performance so far. Like he wasn't catapulted into a world of hurt. So, before his job approval rating slides anymore, can we please give him, and the country a break, take a deep breath and remember where we were just 5 short months ago? Seems to me, this poor man has more people against him, than with him right now. And at a time when the country we claim to love is at stake.

HOUSE HEALTHCARE BILL DOOMED TO FAILURE

I believe that we can both afford and mold a health care package for the 50 million uninsured Americans who are desperately in need of one. Although I do not agree with the urgency placed on it by the Obama administration, I believe it is a national imperative. Personally, I believe it could be implemented best by making Medicare available to any American citizen wishing to pay a discounted rate for it.

However, having watched the house committee proceedings for a brain numbing amount of time, it is obvious to me that the house package will be so pork filled with expensive and unnecessary inclusions that it will never be passed in the house, much less prove affordable. In-home visits, nutritional counseling, transportation to medical facilities are three of many ideas that will send this package to doom. Yet every option and every vote goes straight down party lines, and adds to an already bloated 1000 page initiative.

I watched and waited for some sense of common ground, some indication that they could work together to form a viable package worth consideration in the full house. The video shows an amendment by Republican Eric Cantor, someone who is emerging to be one of the modern day leaders of a flailing (and failing) Republican party. Simply put, he objects to the health care bill to include paying for abortions that are not the result of rape, incest, or in an attempt to save the life of the birth mother.

I am as liberal as anyone, but this is a deal breaker for me. I do not want to reverse Roe v. Wade, but I would not / could not ask the American taxpayer to continue to pay for abortions which are not the result of saving the mothers life, or ending a pregnancy caused by rape or incest. I would think that at least one liberal on the committee could see the logic and break ranks and vote for the Cantor amendment to the bill.

Yet, like so many sheep, the committee votes entirely on party line, and they do not take the time to so much as debate on the issues and options offerred. Does everything have to be political on the hill? I honestly don't know why they even meet in committee....their votes are as predictable as the House health care packages' certain death in the full House of Representatives.

AND THAT'S THE WAY IT IS

While modern day "journalists" seek to incite, he sought to educate. While today's "journalists" slant the news toward their individual political beliefs, he knew the news was the thing, and he sought to stay out of its way. It was, he was, always about the news, and not about his celebrity.

In many ways, he was a comforting, stabilizing voice for America...in many ways he was the voice of America. He rarely editorialized, but when he did, America listened. When he stepped out of character and declared the Vietnam war a stalemate, then President Johnson declared, "when I lost Cronkite, I lost the country."

Walter Cronkite was simply the gold standard for what he did. He transcended what he did....he so defined what he did he became the nation's most trusted newsman, and the first television journalist to be coined an "anchorman." Walter Cronkite, sadly, dead at the age of 92. And that's the way it is.

FEW HAD HIS POTENTIAL, OR CHARISMA: 10 YEARS LATER

While the nation mourned the untimely death of Michael Jackson, the ten year anniversary of the death of another American icon slipped quietly by, that of John Kennedy, Jr. Of course, this is the way he would have preferred it, a quiet remembrance; exactly as he tried to live his life, as quietly as possible, which was nearly impossible given his lineage.

While Jackson reached his full potential by every measure, JFK Jr. sadly never did. He published his own magazine, earned his pilots license, and achieved an impressive 6-0 record as a prosecutor for the Manhattan District Attorney, and still it seemed the best was still ahead of him. I have to wonder what would have been ahead of him should he have decided to wait until morning instead of flying to Martha's Vineyard in the dark that fate filled night.

In remembering John, Uncle Teddy said it best at his funeral (paraphrased).....

"Once, when they asked John what he would do if he went into politics and was elected president, he said: "I guess the first thing is call up Uncle Teddy and gloat." I loved that. It was so like his father. From the first day of his life, John seemed to belong not only to our family, but to the American family. The whole world knew his name before he did.

John was so much more than those long-ago images emblazoned in our minds. He was a boy who grew into a man with a zest for life and a love of adventure. He was a pied piper who brought us all along. He was blessed with a father and mother who never thought anything mattered more than their children.

He had a legacy, and he learned to treasure it. He was part of a legend, and he learned to live with it. Above all, Jackie gave him a place to be himself, to grow up, to laugh and cry, to dream and strive on his own. John learned that lesson well. He had amazing grace. He accepted who he was, but he cared more about what he could and should become. He saw things that could be lost in the glare of the spotlight. And he could laugh at the absurdity of too much pomp and circumstance.

He thought politics should be an integral part of our popular culture, and that popular culture should be an integral part of politics.......and that is how he published his magazine"

Would he have eventually gone into politics? He never ruled it out...in fact he was often quoted as saying politics was something you get into later in life once you have some experience and knowledgeable seasoning to share with the nation. Obviously had he lived, he would have been ready ten years later. Ready perhaps to launch a campaign for the vacated Senate seat of Hillary Clinton, the seat his sister Caroline pursued instead?

I like to think he would have taken the seat over Gillibrand, and brought a little leadership and youthful energy into a senate chamber desperately in need of some. And as he continued to grow into his political career, a leader of the Democratic party would eventually emerge? Sadly, we will never know.

BUDGET CUTS TO TARGET MANY WHO NEED OUR HELP THE MOST

Everyone in the nation knows the state of California is working to come up with solutions to a $26 billion budget gap. While state workers are taking three unpaid furlough days per month and every state department will experience reductions to its revenues, what isn't being talked about enough are the drastic effects these budget reductions will have on the working poor and our educational system, which used to be number one in the nation decades ago.

To balance the books, Schwarzenegger is eyeing the dismantling of the state's CalWorks program, a welfare program which serves more than 500,000 poor families with children, as well as the elimination of Healthy Families, which provides medical coverage to 928,000 children and teens. Mothballing the two programs would save the state about $1.4 billion in the coming fiscal year.

CalGrants, a financial assistance program that offers cash grants to lower- and middle-income college students each year will be stripped as well. The governor's proposal would eliminate the 77,000 new grants awarded each year at a cost of $180 million, but that saving would eventually grow to more than $900 million as students graduated and the program was phased out.

Further reductions in educational funding for K-12 education by $3.0 billion, will force California school districts to lay off thousands of teachers, expand class sizes, close schools, eliminate bus service, cancel summer school programs, and possibly shorten the academic year. California schools now rank at or near the bottom nationally in academic performance, student-teacher ratios in middle and high school, access to guidance counselors and the percentage of seniors who go directly to four-year colleges. In its annual survey this year, Education Week magazine ranked California 47th in per-pupil spending and gave the state a D in academic achievement.

Added to reductions to our K-12 educational system will be $335 million in funding for the University of California and California State University systems along with a phase out of the Cal Grant college aid program for students.

Bottom line?

California’s state budget is facing an enormous $24 billion shortfall. The Governor has already identified cuts estimated to amount to about $16 billion, and these new reductions will add $5.5 billion to the total package, however the state legislature process has broken down, and as a result, we are currently paying our creditors and vendors with IOU's, which banks are refusing to honor. And, we expect to hear another $3 billion in cuts proposed by the end of the week.

Cuts in healthcare could result in more than 1.9 million Californians losing access to coverage. The current budget proposal would reduce state funding for the Medi-Cal program by a billion dollars. The Medi-Cal program provides hundreds of thousands of children, working parents, the elderly, and people with disabilities access to no-cost healthcare.
Funding for schools will be slashed and almost 18,000 teachers in California are looking at possible layoffs. Some inner-city middle and high schools could lose up to 40 percent of their teachers.
The budget cuts would also drastically reduce funding for higher education by $335 million. These cuts would effectively phase out the Cal-Grant college aid program, which provides thousands of students with money for tuition.

And these cuts are in addition to tax hikes after agreeing to $12.8 billion in higher sales, personal income and vehicle taxes earlier this year.

WHY I WILL BE ON PINS AND NEEDLES UNTIL PRESIDENT OBAMA GETS BACK HOME

Yes U, Joe Biden.

MORE LIKE IT

Last month, American reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to 12 years in a labor camp in North Korea after being found guilty of crossing the border illegally and committing "hostilities" against the nation.

In response, the U.S. attempted to use the usual arrogant, bully approach towards the situation, hoping Jong Il Kim would somehow back down in response. At no time did anyone admit to their crime, only the unfairness of the situation. This did nothing. Nothing because what was left unsaid was the obvious....they were guilty. It wasn't as if they were illegally captured in Seoul. The two journalists were reporting a story on human trafficking near (and apparently across) the North Korean border when they were captured. Ling has reported from Haiti, Vietnam, China and Turkey. This was Lee's first international assignment.

Yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton asked North Korea's government to grant amnesty to the two journalists from San Francisco's Current TV imprisoned there, a move analysts say may open the diplomatic door for the journalists' release. Clinton added that "everyone is sorry" for what happened, while one of the journalists, Laura Ling, told a family member in a phone conversation this week that "we broke the law" when they entered North Korea. Hmmm...a contrite apology and admission of guilt.....this may work. Asking for amnesty treats North Korea like a sovereign nation as it craves international recognition, while "very sorry" implies an apology that allows the North Koreans to save face.

Truth is, these two reporters, for all of the outcries from their friends and supporters, have put this nation in a terrible position; of having to go hat in hand for mercy on their behalf in front of one of the worst (and arguably most powerful) dictator in the world at present.

Should these two reporters gain some charity on the behest of the Korean government and gain their releases, I believe the U.S. government should be prepared to carry out their sentences here, with chances for parole after two years served. In this way, the world will see that should this situation happen again in the future, they can count on us to see the criminals will not go free on our soil once they get back, and might consider deportation to the U.S. to serve out their sentences.

And yes, when saying that I am referring to the Amanda Knox "party girl from hell" murder trial currently going on in Italy, a trial where Ms. Knox might get a life sentence for murder without any smoking gun, or testimony from so much as a credible witness. In that trial they have already found the perpetrator guilty, a loser named Rudy Guede, who months after his conviction has now implicated Ms. Knox, necessitating her trial, which is on going.

In any case, the tact taken by Ms. Ling, and the request made by Secretary of State Clinton is the correct one, one of an admission of guilt, and request for leniency by their home country. What a change from the Bush administration, giving us all hope for their release. I hope North Korea takes the chance to gain a little good press to go with the condemnation they have received over their test missile adventures, and I hope all Americans visiting abroad learn a valuable lesson....obey the laws of the countries you are visiting.

OBAMA TO LOOK THROUGH A WINDOW INTO OUR DUBIOUS PAST

Researched through various sources, primarily the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

He has addressed the nation as an American. He has addressed the Muslim world as a former Muslim. And today, he has addressed the African country of Ghana as a black man of African heritage. Today, Barack Obama received a huge welcome from the African country evidenced by posters and billboards stating "welcome home."

Ghana has always been a favorite stop for American Presidents, as their government most resembles American style democracy. During he brief speech, Obama praised their form of government, and promised them the support of America whenever possible.

As important as his visit to Ghana may be (although a brief 22 hours), Obamas most poignant visit will be this afternoon to the former slave holding "factory" of Gold Coast Castle.

Originally built as a fort by the Swedes for their timber and mineral exportation, and then taken over by the Dutch before the English wrestled it away from them, the history of Cape Coast Castle remains the focal point of this coastal city.

The castles exit to the beach, known as the door of no return, for more than 100 years opened to the certainty of a short and brutal life for the millions of Africans that were captured off these shores and sold into slavery, which now opens to the serene and awesome vastness of the Atlantic Ocean.
The beach beyond the notorious exit door at Cape Coast Castle, which was the main British hub of the transatlantic slave trade in West Africa from 1665 to 1807, is now lined with an extensive slum of wooden shacks and colonial-era brick buildings covered with tin roofs.
Its black cannons and mortars are still strategically placed on a concrete deck facing the ocean and on the rooftops of its towers on each side of the three-story main building. The brick courtyard of the castle, which Ghanaians commonly refer to as Cape Coast Dungeon, has two 18-foot water wells and four graves.
The Obamas are expected to enter two of the dungeon's men's chambers at the front of the castle. The first one on the tour is where the strongest men were held together and the last one has a hole in the wall. The hole leads into a deep and dark tunnel system that was used to takes slaves underneath the castle's courtyard, leading them to the "door of no return." The strongest ones were separated during branding, when hot iron rods were used to mark their chests, and then chained and shackled together in the first chamber.
At any given three-month period, the castle held 1,000 men and 300 women. The men were confined in groups of 200 per chamber roughly the size of a 30-by-15-foot holding cell before they were shipped to America, the Caribbean and elsewhere. Any slave who challenged the authorities was thrown into the condemned cell, which held 50 in a room no bigger than most walk-in closets. There, they would die deprived of food, water, light and oxygen, clawing the brick walls and floors as they suffocated.
Clearly, the Obama visit to the castle will have a profound effect on the President, and symbolically, the continent of Africa, as well as the United States, especially its black community. Whether President Obama will address the media after his visit to the castle is unclear, but sufficed to say, his mere presence will speak volumes to the world as the castle represents a regrettable portion of American history to say the very least.

GUESS I COULD A HAD A G-8

Special thanks to http://www.religiopoliticaltalk.blogspot.com/ for the pic

AIG TO CUT MORE BONUS CHECKS

American International Group announced Thursday that it would pay $2.4 million in bonuses to 40 top executives after a round of bonuses in March outraged the public. The insurance company has been waiting for the federal government’s blessing to give more bonuses with its $180 billion bailout check, even though AIG doesn't officially need permission from Obama's executive compensation czar, Kenneth Feinberg, since the bonuses are delayed from 2008.

An AIG official told The Washington Post the company was reluctant to distribute the cash. “We would want to feel comfortable that the government is comfortable with what we are doing,” he said. In March, it was revealed that AIG paid more than $165 million in retention bonuses to 400 employees in its Financial Products unit, whose derivative contracts almost destroyed the entire company.

Refusing to comment directly on the latest round of bonuses, a Treasury Department spokesman released a statement. “Companies will need to convince Mr. Feinberg that they have struck the right balance to discourage excessive risk taking and reward performance for their top executives,” he said.
Read it at The Washington Post

THE PALIN FLAG PROTOCOL

Flag etiquette, per U.S. History.org

Flags being displayed indoors other than being flown from a staff: The flag should be displayed flat, whether indoors or out. When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's left.

Palin rules: Wad it up and drape it over a chair and onto a table.

Screw the flag...do you think I look hot?

THE ONION: CRUEL, BUT TOO FUNNY FOR WORDS

Gymnast Shawn Johnson Put To Sleep After Breaking Leg

PALIN STEPS DOWN, TRANSFERS POWER, AND RECORDS ANOTHER "10" ON THE PHONY SCALE

Governor Palin announces she will not seek another term as Governor of Alaska, and will transfer power to the Lt. Governor Parnell, ending a "lame duck" period for which she "just isn't wired for."

Can she possibly be so delusional as to think she can turn this into a large enough positive to vault her into a 2012 presidential bid? Could she, in fact be the front runner for the GOP slot? Fact is, there IS no front runner...or even a GOP leader these days. The Conservative party (if you want to call it that--considering their last Prez hopeful was more of a moderate), is in absolute disarray. Some would even say they are in a free fall. And for all of the remembrances of the pathetic VP run last year, which did much to solidify her as an absolute empty headed moron, at least she has not: been caught doing the tango in Buenos Aires (Mark Sanford), or having sex with a staffer (John Ensign) or calling Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor a “racist” (Newt Gingrich) or disappearing to an ambassadorship in China (Jon Huntsman).

In her 6 minute stump speech, which encompassed much more than the state of Alaska, she claims to be able to affect change from the outside better than in her present position. How she plans to do this as a citizen, remains to be seen. But let there be no doubt, day one of the Obama administration marked day one of the Republican presidential run(s).

So what of her chances to overtake the two REAL candidates...Messers Huckabee and Romney? I think Howard Fineman of Newsweek said it best..."To be blunt, the GOP is in such a shambles that in that land of the blind, even this one-eyed woman could become queen. "

THE WIT AND WISDOM OF GWYNETH

“I love the English lifestyle, it’s not as capitalistic as America. People don’t talk about work and money, they talk about interesting things at dinner.
“I like living here because I don’t fit into the bad side of American psychology. The British are much more intelligent and civilized than the Americans.”

Gwyneth Paltrow

I am not sure what makes me madder...the fact that a native born American is slamming us, and our country...or the fact that, by and large, she is dead on the money. I don't mind her expressing her opinion, but she keeps up with the dialougue...read on for more classic Paltrow...

Gwyneth Paltrow says Spain has “became a second home.”
“It is so different from the United States. It seemed to have a history, and the buildings are years and years and years old. Here in the United States an old building is about 17 (years old), and over there it’s from 500 B.C., it’s incredible,” she tells the Associated Press.
“Also, the way people live over there. They seem to enjoy life a little bit more,” she continued. “They aren’t running around as much as in New York. They enjoy time with the family. They don’t always have their BlackBerry on.”

MJ TRIBUTE @ BET AWARDS: A SHAMEFUL DISPLAY OF EGO

The hype was everywhere. The BET awards (Black Entertainment Television) were coincidentally going on a mere days since the unfortunate passing of Michael Jackson. This would be a golden opportunity for the black community to celebrate the life of a true musical genius. They would potentially achieve a rating never heard of in their history. This was going to be good, given the talent they would have in town.

The opening act was five unknowns with an extremely poor sound system attempting to sing a Jackson family hit, but failing miserably. That's OK, they were called into service quickly and unexpectedly (and it showed). Surely the next act would be the show stopper, a serious tribute to an American icon. This would call for the host of the show, Jamie Foxx to bring down the house in superstar fashion.

What I saw was an egotistical, self absorbed and over hyped fool embarrassingly grabbing his crotch and bragging about the size of his package. Worse than that, he showed true class by uttering the words "boa constrictor" while he did it, then giving us 20 feet of a white man's moon walk, replete with a near stumble on stage.

I would tell you this total embarrassment of a performance left Michael spinning in his grave, but the poor man hasn't even made it there yet. After seeing what I did, I am surprised he didn't get up and dig his own hole.

As for the "music" presented, you had to read between the network bleeps to makes heads or tales of any "story" they were telling with their rap; but needless to say, it wasn't Steinbeck. The verbiage used in todays music is, without question, appalling. As I watched the acts unfold, I couldn't help but wonder how it was being accepted by the younger crowd, who see these artists as role models.

I will end this critique with two observations: "Is there a shortage of black dress shoes in the marketplace today?" There seemed to be an inordinate number of tuxedos and sneakers at the awards show. But whatever, express yourself....who am I to judge.

What I do feel qualified to ask, and judge, beckons me to ask..."Is there an epidemic of penis thefts in the world today?" There seems to be, since every act seemed to be grabbing, groping and verifying the continued existence of their penis through the evening. I get it. Women find you sexy, and you have a penis. Happy for you. But did we have to see a continual cupping of hand(s) around your personal Johnson? Trust me, if someone stole it while you weren't looking, you would be the first to know. What goes for cool now days blows my mind.

The BET awards...a golden opportunity wasted. An opportunity to show some class and dignity to a very large swath of America tuning in to see the MJ tribute was absolutely squandered. What should have been a tribute worthy of an American icon turned into a night not worthy of remembrance.

MICHAEL JACKSON: A TRUE AMERICAN ICON DIES OF A BROKEN HEART

Elvis Presley, John Lennon........true genius is rarely truly appreciated or understood. Michael Jackson was in that league of performers. Truth is, like it or not, Michael Jackson, at least professionally, was an American icon who may have transcended the legacies of both Presley and Lennon.
A true innovator, Jackson took the music video from its infancy to an art form. His video Thriller exploded onto the music scene, and music videos have never been the same since then, practically creating the MTV network. For all of his controversy...for all of the drama, when it came to composing music, singing, dancing and entertaining, Michael Jackson was without peer.

His career started at a very early age (5), arguably robbing him of his entire childhood, which undoubtedly resulted in his fascination with carnival rides and all things childlike. He sought love and lost, he sought friends and found predators, he sought privacy and a sense of normalcy, and his immense talent precluded that possibility.

Sadly, he attempted to rebound after experiencing a tumultuous decade before his death; he died as lonely as he was financially challenged in relative terms for an iconic international recording star. They say bad news travels in threes. Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, and now the stunning news of the death of Michael Jackson, at the age of 50.

2010 GOP HOPEFUL GOES SOUTH OF THE BORDER

In yet another installment of the soap opera "Housewives of the GOP," Republican Governor goes missing for four days, claiming to be hiking on the Appalachian Trail, in order to "get away and clear his mind." An emotional Sanford, who spoke about "God's law" several times in his press conference today, said he needed a break from his job after what he called an "exhausting" battle against President Obama's stimulus bill.

Truth now out, the Governor was actually in Argentina to see his mistress, a woman named Maria, whom he had seen for quite some time, much to the surprise of his wife and children. Sanford has admitted to the affair publically, and a series of e-mails he had sent to his concubine has exploded in today's media. Needless to say, Sanford was yet another example of a hypocritical "religious" conservative who consistently ran on a platform of family values.

But the news isn't entirely about the marital cheating, as this is old hat around the political world. What ignited national curiosity was that Sanford's security agents were unaware of his whereabouts and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer -- who would be in charge in the governor's absence -- said he didn't even know Sanford was going away. Added to this, he failed to notify the U.S. Embassy in Argentina, which is the protocol. Curious behaviors indeed for a Republican star on the rise, and the current chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

Questions still remain: Did he use state funds to travel to see this woman in the past, and did he use state funds to entertain her during the affair?

Of course this is the second such scandal to rock the GOP this month. Earlier this month, Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., admitted to an affair with a campaign staffer and resigned as leader of the Republican Policy Committee.

MORE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGH MORAL STANDARDS

He denounced NBC’s broadcast of Schindler’s List as “an all-time low, with full-frontal nudity.” He has warned of “rampant” lesbianism in Oklahoma public high school bathrooms. And he has battled to discredit condom use. Elected to the Senate in 2004 after serving eight years in the House of Representatives, he has demonstrated an uncanny ability to transform zealous and occasionally very weird moral crusades into headlines.

Who is he? He is Congressman Coburn, the "roomie" of John Ensign, who sat quietly bye on his high horse while his roommate and colleague had an adulterous affair with the wife of his top staffer. He is the man who knew about Ensign’s affair for 16 months and maintained his silence so it would not become public.

“Our culture that too often glorifies promiscuous sex without consequences should not be surprised by this scandal,” Congressman Coburn declared at the height of impeachment proceedings targeting President Bill Clinton for lying about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. “The tragic consequences of the president's behavior should prompt us to reassert the high moral standards that form the foundation of our freedom.”

In October 2007, when Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) announced he would finish his term after pleading guilty to soliciting sex with an undercover cop in a bathroom stall, Coburn joined Ensign and a number of other Republican senators in calling for Craig’s immediate resignation. “He ought to keep his word,” Coburn rumbled. Now, with Ensign is at the center of an embarrassing sex scandal, Coburn has affected an unusually tolerant tone. His transformation from anti-sex crusader to adultery enabler has been overnight.

Coburn: "If you look at it in the light of everybody makes errors, at least he fessed up and resolved the problem with his family, so I think it speaks well of his corrective force." Trouble was his "corrective forces" did not come into play until he heard that the husband of the woman he had an affair with was speaking with various news sources about the affair, and was about to explode onto the national media scene. Their are unconfirmed reports Mr. Hampton was asking for money from the Senator as well.

Ensign spokesman Tory Mazzola claimed that Doug Hampton, the husband of the woman Ensign had an affair with last year, tried to demand money from the senator before Ensign revealed the affair earlier this week. In a statement obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Mazzola wrote "Within the past month, Doug Hampton's legal counsel made exorbitant demands for cash and other financial benefits on behalf of his client." Mazzola went on to say the "outrageous demand was referred to Senator Ensign's legal counsel."

The woman with whom Ensign had the affair is Cindy Hampton, 46, a campaign treasurer for two committees connected to the senator. Her husband, Doug Hampton served as an administrative assistant on Ensign's Senate staff. Neither have worked for Ensign since May 2008. The senator acknowledged the affair continued until August 2008.

After leaving his post, Hampton, 47, quickly landed jobs with companies associated with the senator. He worked briefly for a consulting firm founded by Ensign's closest adviser, Mike Slanker. His biggest client was a Las Vegas-based airline whose executives have contributed generously to Ensign over the years.

Allegiant Air chief executive Maurice Gallagher and his wife have contributed more than $86,000 to Ensign's campaign and political action committees, federal records show. Hampton later joined Allegiant Air in August 2008 and is currently vice president of government affairs, a company spokeswoman said. Mazzola said Thursday that the senator made calls recommending Hampton for work after he left the Senate office.

Interesting timing. He calls off the affair in August, the same time Mr. Hampton gets a high paying cushy job with one of the Senators top financial supporters. So much for conservative values, and high moral standards they so vehemently demand of others. I am so sick of the political deviates speaking one thing, and doing another, I could puke. Bill O'Reilly and his deviate phone calls. Rush Limbaugh and his drug addiction. Larry Craig and his gay BS in a public bathroom stall (denied to this very day "I am not gay...I have never been gay"). Now these two eggheads and their freaky-dicky apartment o'sin.

Isn't it time these public figures come down from their high horses and soften their stances a mite? Just once I would like someone to come clean to the public and tell them it is none of their business. I think the perfect opportunity would have been with President Clinton, who opted out, preferring to lie under oath about the Lewinsky affair (outstanding choice, Mr. Prez). At least I can take solace in the fact that Clinton never would have dared to claim he was of high moral character like these two jarheads. And so it goes......

CAPTION CONTEST

THE "OBAMA EFFECT" HAS YET TO HAVE ANY

An American Security Project mid-year update to their annual report on global terrorism trends today showed several trends that raise serious concerns about U.S. counter terrorism policy, including a dramatic increase in Islamic violence in the Middle East, a worsening situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, new “hot spots” of violence in Somalia and Russia, as well as a dampening of the initial “Obama effect” in the Muslim world.

In spite of initial optimism in the Muslim world following the election of President Obama, there is no evidence to suggest that the United States has overcome the damage done to its standing by several unpopular Bush Administration policies, including the war in Iraq and treatment of detainees. American support of Israel during the recent Gaza incursion seems to have slowed any initial momentum toward improving the image of the United States in the Muslim world. Furthermore, Approval of al Qaeda has increased in Egypt and approval of the United States has decreased in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Added to these issues, North Korea is openly threatening its emerging nuclear capabilities, along with actively staging test launching, much to the worlds chagrin. Worse yet, they have imprisoned two American journalists, leaving little doubt of their defiance for the United States super-powerdom.

What had hoped to be an improvement in overseas perceptions to the United States standing in the world with the election of Barack Obama has been marginally effective at best. Obama addressed these issues with a speech in Cairo targeted towards the Muslim world, which was favorably received. He mixed apologies for our nations actions with strong words to the Muslim world, in an unprecedented address which quoted from the Bible, the Talmud and the Quran.

Despite initial attempts by President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton, the world continues to be a very unstable place. The Times photo above depicts violent protests from Iranians over a clearly staged, unfair election which delivered another election victory for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Clearly, it is too soon to expect any real change in the world with the election (and detente) of Obama. But, was is it naive to believe that he can make any substantive headway at all? Was it naive of us to think that his "Obama effect," engaging people with dignity, respect, candor and a basic understanding that our fates are fundamentally intertwined and linked, could make a dent in centuries old perceptions and hatreds? Perhaps.

But many believe, including myself, that he may be our best chance...indeed our only chance at correcting the damage of the previous administration. There is little doubt that because of Obama, we began the year living in an era of unprecedented optimism, one where we hoped it was not unreasonable for us to expect that he would take his strategy of strength, integrity, and candid engagement to, at the very least, begin to open discussions with all foreign leaders and regimes to affect positive change.

But this period of optimism, this hope for our futures, this post election Obama effect will indeed be short-lived each additional day we cannot separate the Obama administrations actions, from the previous administrations. The nation, and the world is waiting for rhetoric to morph into action. So far, all we have gotten for our troubles is "just words."

And that is the world....the "World According to Kimba." Thanks for reading.