A Bond For The Ages

A short movie review before embarking on our trip back North - Mrs. Goldwater and I took in the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace yesterday afternoon on our final day of our stay in North Carolina. I’m a passive fan of the James Bond series, but I have to say I found this newest incarnation one of the best (at least in my memory). Not much on plot (which works, actually), thin on gadgetry with some intense action scenes, Solace is raw Bond in an era of fractured international relations. Daniel Craig makes a great Bond – he wears pain well.

A few random notes:

• Ford Motor Company products are prominently displayed throughout the movie, and I noticed some interesting looking car designs – why do we get stuck with the Taurus and Focus while Europe and South American markets gets the cooler looking models?
• Without giving any of the plot away, listen for the girl-like screams of the Bond villain during the climatic hand-to-hand combat scene
• As I mentioned, Craig is a great Bond – possibly the best. I love the fact that Bond kicks ass, but gets the crap kicked out of him as well. And where Roger Moore looked neat and pressed following a fight scene, Craig takes the blood and scars with him
• Bond’s female accomplice (can’t call her love interest, really) is smoking. She looks like a young Catherine Zeta Jones

Don't Sublet Gitmo Just Yet...

The terrorist raids in Mumbai, India serve as a sobering reminder that there are still a lot of angry jihadists out there who aren’t necessarily beholden to any particular brand of Islamic lunacy. These attacks were well planned, coordinated and funded; they were also designed to inflict maximum psychological damage – I don’t think it’s any accident that the financial jewel of India was targeted during a time of global economic meltdown.

Not to be outdone, there are reliable intelligence reports that Al Qaeda is planning a massive subway attack in New York City sometime during the holiday season.

Islamic Whack-A-Mole never seems to end.

Barack Obama will have his work cut out for him. Combating terrorism won’t prove as easy as sending predator drones and special ops into the tribal areas of Pakistan. It will require using every resource available to the Chief Executive - the very same resources Obama savagely criticized his predecessor for employing over the past seven years.

Thanksgiving Don’t Mean Squanto…

The Goldwater clan is spending the Thanksgiving holiday with my folks in bucolic Clayton, NC. The other evening, I was reading five year-old Princess Goldwater her usual allotment of bedtime stories, and came upon one of her books appropriately entitled, “The First Thanksgiving”. As I read through the book, I was struck by the tone of several of its passages, including these selected ditties:

“The Pawtuxets planted corn, beans, squash and pumpkins…every year they gave thanks to Mother Earth at the Green Corn Dance….In the early 1600’s, Englishmen visited their shores more and more frequently. These men sailed in ships with butterfly wings, killed with guns and kidnapped Wampanoag men for slaves. The Indians became deeply afraid of white men…”

“As Squanto jubilantly strode into his village in 1619, he suddenly slowed his stride…no children clambered over the big rock. No voices sounded. The homes they called wetus were skeletons. The cornfields had grown into weeds…all of his people were dead because of a European plague...”

“The Pilgrims decided to seek their fortune in the New World…they carried firearms and armor to protect themselves against the vicious animals and the people of the New World they called “savages”…”

“Although the military men and Miles Standish had been shot at by Indians on Cape Cod, the Pilgrims had yet to meet one “savage”…”

Wow, chew on that between your turkey and pumpkin pie today – white men suck. The book further goes to note that, if it wasn’t for the selfless heroics and agricultural know-how of the Native Americans, the first settlers were as good as goners.

And how did we repay them? We enslaved the healthy ones, and exterminated the weak and invalid by coughing on them.

Personally, I like this version of the first Thanksgiving better.

Separated At Birth?

An update to an earlier blog entry, "Obama's Kobayashi Maru". In post-editing, I was struck by the resemblance of Barack Obama to another, lesser-known but no less beloved Star Trek character, Tuvok.

Coincidence? I think not.

Obama Taps Volcker As Econ Advisor

News this morning that PE Obama has asked former Fed Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker to chair a special panel to advise him on economic matters.

Excellent, my plan is falling into place…soon his transformation to the Dark Side will be complete and the conserva..er, the Sith will once again rule the Galaxy!

Ok, maybe that’s going a bit overboard. But could these early gestures toward governance from the center be interpreted to mean that Obama has realized that the problems the US faces are much bigger than “Hope” and “Change” nonsense? If so, how do you think the Hard Left is likely to respond?

Obama Pledges To Become Conservative

Yes I know, wishful thinking; but it certainly looks nice. Yesterday, Obama pledged that he and his economic team would pour over the federal budget looking for ways to trim unnecessary spending. And as in all of Obama’s public statements to date, we need to mind the fine print: unnecessary spending. Good luck with that one…

As I’ve said before, it is critical that the feds temper any increase in spending with offsetting cuts. They need to reassure financial markets both here and abroad that any surge in government spending to stimulate the economy is temporary, and fiscal responsibility will return once the crisis abates.

Yes, I don’t believe I wrote that last line either.

Only You Can Prevent Eco-Idiocy

My brother is planning for life in a post-Obamalyptic society. If the hordes of angry anarchists act anything like the attached group of Earth Firsters, he needn't worry.

This clip, if legit, could easily give the best of anything on Saturday Night Live a run for its money.

Pure comedic gold, baby.

Hat tip, Captain Capitalism

No Tchotchke Cabinet Should Be Without This...

My father is a difficult one to buy for at Christmas....until this year.

I love the goofy guy at his desk looking to his Obama plate for inspiration. Perhaps he's signing over the first of his wealth redistribution payments...

Obama’s Kobayashi Maru

In the opening scene of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (arguably the best of the series to date), Starfleet cadet Saavik, played by pre-Jenny Craig Kirstie Alley, is put through a "no-win" training simulation designed to test her character under extreme conditions. The Kobayashi Maru is a disabled Federation freighter located inside the Klingon Neutral Zone rapidly losing life support. The “captain” is faced with a difficult choice: enter the Neutral Zone and risk confrontation with the Klingons, or do nothing and allow the crew of the Kobayashi Maru to perish. (Note to Star Trek purists: this is my recollection from memory, and is not meant to represent canon in any way. All is well. Please step away from your computer, and proceed back down into your parent’s basement.)

Obama is faced with his own economic Kobayashi Maru – seek to stimulate the economy through government spending and public works programs that may have the opposite effect of their intended objective, or do nothing and let the market self correct but not before a period of profound pain and misery.

He’ll need to tread lightly here. This particular downturn in the economy is tricky, as the sector that has traditionally led us out of recession (construction) is one of the factors responsible for the economy’s collapse. In past recessions, the government used monetary policy to stimulate investment in new construction, leading to new job growth, leading to increased consumer spending thereby reinvigorating the Economic Circle of Life.

But interest rates are already at all-time lows. And as we’ve seen with the TARP program, the government can’t force banks to lend, either among themselves or to the public. Of greater concern is current inventory – how do you go about building new buildings and homes when there are already too many of them available on the market?

Overall, I’m encouraged with some early signals the Obama economic team has sounded. I don’t think they hold out any rosy scenarios for a quick turnaround – recovery will come, but it will be slow. I think the plan for investment in public infrastructure improvements – bridges, highways, etc – is a smart one. Not only because I think these improvements are desperately needed, but also because I think the Obama team is addressing a downturn in construction yet to come. Residential construction has already been felt and absorbed into the economy - it’s the downturn in commercial construction that has yet to be realized, and where Obama appears to be setting his sights.

I would prefer the feds look to raise funds to pay for this public investment through either spending cuts in current programs or reducing capital gains and other taxes on investment. We'll see. On taxation, Obama appears to be ratcheting down his campaign's class warfare rhetoric - this is good, but he can and should do more.

For our sake, let’s hope Obama turns out to be a fan of Captain Kirk.

The Impending Baby BOOM

A new post over at Captain Capitalism gave the ol’ cranial lightbulb (fluorescent, thank you) a sudden jolt – Europe and other western nations have a baby boom generation as well. And it would seem they will be as much a drag on current and future resources and GDP as their American cousins.

It’s not so much that I wasn’t aware that Europe’s demographic landscape was changing (for a thoroughly fascinating and depressing book on the subject, read Mark Steyn’s America Alone), it’s that the US need only to look across the Atlantic to see the long-term effects of increased government involvement in commerce and health care. Sure the Swedes are the model of cradle-to-grave social democracy, but what happens when the cogs of this engine inevitably break down with age, and there are no replacement parts available? This giant social Ponzi scheme only works if the incoming labor force is as large or larger than the force its replacing. No tax base, no goodies.

No problem, you say – the influx of immigrants will compensate for the shortfall. Perhaps, assuming these immigrants are college educated professionals, and they share the same social mores as their host country. What if these immigrants saw homosexuality and sexual promiscuity as sins against Allah or whomever (or whatever) deity they worship? This is the stewing cauldron that now awaits our Western friends, and will for leaders here as well in a decade or so.

And speaking of lightbulbs, have any of you ever had one of those new “green” bulbs break on you? Have you read the precautionary notes and directions for disposal? I wasn’t aware that hazmat suits are now a necessity…

Sarah Palin And Turkeygate

I realize this is old news at this point, but I wanted to weigh in on the current Palin-Mediaflap-of-the-Week.

This clip of Sarah Palin answering interview questions at a turkey farm while a farmhand administers Last Rites to a few of the turkeys is pure comedic genius. It recalls the best scenes of the “Naked Gun” and “Airplane” movies, where the main character is engaged in the foreground while chaos ensues in the background.

Pure gold, baby.

That having been said, Palin’s handlers should have been fired on the spot. And those in the conservative media who are quick to dismiss or even celebrate this latest episode as a testament to Palin’s populist, folksy charm are missing the larger point – good politicians and good leaders make good choices – they don’t put themselves in these situations. And while the Right will attempt to rationalize her behavior, in the end she solidifies the backwoods rube image liberals created for her during the campaign with sound bites like this.

Republicans and conservatives alike were correct to call Obama’s judgment into question during the campaign – so why shouldn’t holding Palin to the same standard be any different?

Supersize That Seat!

I can’t wait to read Mark Steyn’s take on this. The Canadian Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal by Canadian Airlines that would have nullified a decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency that people who are “functionally disabled by obesity” deserve to have two seats for one fare.

How does the CTA define obese? Lord knows I’m getting a little doughy in the midsection, and would love the extra room.

I’m all for accommodation, but don’t tell me the obese are “entitled” or “deserving” of a two-for-one fare because they manage to consume three times their daily recommended caloric intake. Build a few rows of barcaloungers in the tail section (upon second thought, probably throughout the plane for proper weight distribution) and charge a premium for a “supersize” seat, but let’s not equate the result of poor lifestyle choices for a true physical handicap.

Do As I Say, Not As I Choose...

After what I would think to have been weeks of careful and emotionally painful deliberation, Barack and Michelle Obama have made the decision to send their two young daughters to Patterson Elementary School in Washington, DC.

Just kidding.

They’ve chosen Sidwell Friends, a pricey little Quaker Friends school for the Washington, DC power elite. Sasha and Malia will not follow in the footsteps of Amy Carter, but rather Chelsea Clinton.

Of course Washington DC public schools were always under consideration. Mrs. and Mrs. Obama continually espoused the virtues of a public school education on the campaign trail, pointing out that their own daughters are proud students of the Chicago Public…hey, wait a minute…never mind.

Obama A Realist On Foreign Policy?

Over at the Weekly Standard, Michael Goldfarb notes that Barack Obama’s selection of his foreign policy team, both known and rumored, may be signaling that the president-elect intends to shape foreign policy from a center/realist perspective.

The selection of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, Jim Jones (no, not that one) as National Security Advisor, Gates on Defense and continued counsel from Brent Scowcroft appears to have left progressives in the cold. What would be interesting to know is the extent of Biden’s influence in all of this.

I think progressives were initially excited with a few of Obama’s foreign policy stances (willingness to meet with despots without preconditions, unilateral withdrawal from Iraq, etc.). However, I’m not sure whether his positions on these issues were truly nuanced, or they were more a product of an inexperienced but ambitious politician playing to his base. As has been pointed out to me by others, Obama is an extraordinarily gifted politician – not that I’m insinuating that he’d say anything to get elected, but it is certainly a lot easier to “evolve” your position once you’re in office.

On the whole, I’m not totally disappointed with Obama’s choices to date – which is to say, it could be worse.

Americans Still Have A Big Heart

I love this story. Despite worsening economic conditions and the gloom and doom prophesy reported by the media, Americans still continue to give to charity. Not only does American generosity appear to be recession-proof, but also appears to increase during tough economic times. Consider this:

• The American Red Cross, in the middle of a $100 million national fundraising campaign to make up for shortfalls, raised over $60 million in two months;
• The American Heart Association reports that donations are up this year; and,
• United Way of King County, WA expects to reach this year’s $110 million fundraising goal

What’s the lesson here? That America already practices what Obama sanctimoniously preached to us during the campaign about “being our brothers keeper" - and we certainly don’t need the federal government's help in forcing us to dig deeper.

Charity begins at home.

Playing Hooky

Yesterday, my boss, me and another colleague took the afternoon off and participated in a "team building" exercise - we went clay skeet shooting. And, despite the immense black, blue and red welt on my right bicep, I had a blast.

My boss is an avid outdoorsman, and will look for any excuse to go out and shoot; be it a bow, shotgun or pistol.

I, on the other hand....am....not. If you reread my first post, you'll know that I am a creature of climate control, exhibiting all of the physical characteristics of a Morlock. OK, perhaps that's a bit harsh, but you get the idea. It's not that I don't enjoy physical activity or that I haven't gotten my hands dirty over the years, but I am no Hemingway either (writing style and lifestyle notwithstanding).

In fact, when attempting to explain the proper technique for cradling and aiming my shotgun, my instructor Sam asked me if I had ever watched football to know how to make the "touchdown" sign - much to the unrestrained laughter of my colleagues.

But when the laughing stopped and the shooting began, I was all business. I discovered I'm actually a fairly decent shot. I also found out that I have a handicap - I shoot right-handed, but my left eye is the dominant one. This makes holding and aiming the shotgun a bit difficult. At least it was for me, hence the giant welt on my right arm.

All things considered, it was great fun and very exhilarating. I understand and appreciate a little more the allure of the outdoors and the desire of many to hunt and maintain firearms. I also got a glimpse of Pennsylvania outside of the liberal conclave of Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs. I never once got the impression any of the residents of Coplay, PA were bitter, clinging to guns or religion - but I suspect they will if Obama ever tries to outlaw or curtail their firearm use (there was tons of NRA and anti-Obama paraphernalia in the gun club clubhouse).

Will Credits Or Cuts Help The "Middle-Class"?

Newt Gingrich and Peter Ferrara have a good piece up over at the Wall Street Journal Online. Essentially, Gingrich and Ferrara argue that if the Obama Administration really wants to serve the middle class and stimulate the economy, then real tax cuts rather than credits are the way to go.

G&F also note that Obama’s plan of expanding upon current and creating new federal income tax credits used ostensibly to fund various social purposes won’t do anything to stimulate investment or job growth, but will cost the government an estimated $1.3 trillion in direct welfare payments to 40% of American taxpayers who don’t pay any income tax anyway.

Additionally, these cash payments are only an incentive up to the amount of the credit, but do nothing beyond the next dollar of income. As a “middle class” taxpayer under the Obama definition (at least I think I am at this writing), I would definitely rather opt for a lower marginal tax rate (from 25% to 15% under G&F) to allow me to control my own wealth rather than waiting for my gubbmint check.

It’s a sound argument. I would only go a step further and advocate budget reductions across the board. The US needs to signal to the financial markets and foreign investors that it is serious in reigning in spending.

AQ: Obama A House Negro - OK, Now They've Gone Too Far

In a strongly worded reprimand, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack condemned Al-Qaeda strongman Ayman Zawahiri for referring to Barack Obama, Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell as "house negros" in a newly released Al-Qaeda videotape.

"It's just, you know, more despicable comments from a terrorist," McCormack told reporters. "And if anybody needed ... more of a contrast between what ... the West and the United States stand for, in terms of democracy and what these terrorists stand for, I don't think you need to go any further than those comments."

Ouch.

As an aside, I had no idea that Harry Belafonte was moonlighting as an Al-Qaeda speechwriter.

Emanuel Throws Down The Gauntlet

Addressing a conference of CEOs and other business leaders Tuesday night, Barack Obama’s new Chief of Staff Rahn Emanuel challenged business leaders to join the new administration in supporting sweeping changes in health care and public investment on infrastructure.

Lots of things about this article gave me pause for concern, most notably Emanuel’s assertion that business leaders should help find solutions to the middle class squeeze or face revolt. Huh? Business already provides the solution – through employment and/or the provision of goods and services. Smart businesses reinvest profit for expansion, creating new jobs and offering opportunity for advancement for existing employees. Employees are offered a chance to share in this growth through stock purchase and/or investment through 401k plans. Hamstringing business through excessive regulation, taxation, union contracting and shouldering the brunt of health care costs only serve to make them less competitive (see GM).

Like the current administration’s critics who complain the president used the 9/11 terrorist attacks as an excuse to increase the powers of the Executive Office and diminish civil liberties, it appears likely that Obama will use that very same tactic in the guise of the economic crisis to push through systemic changes to health care, taxation and the environment – all to the detriment of business.

Emanuel has set the tone of the relationship between the Obama Administration and Corporate America, and it appears that it will be an acrimonious one. At least he’s being up front about it.

Obama Taps Holder as AG

The first Obama term is looking awfully like a third Clinton term...

Paulson, Bernanke Resist Pressure To Bail Out Big 3

Dear Congress,

Please listen to Henry and Ben on this one. Please.

Your pal,

GG

Happy Birthday Mrs. Goldwater...

I would like to take a moment from my insightful and pithy dispatches to wish my beloved a Happy Birthday!

Love you long time! GG

The Problem With Democracy Is People...

Hat tip from my brother Tom. This video presents a strong case for some sort of mandatory civics testing prior to voting. Watch for the quote toward the end from an enlightened Obama voter, "I wasn't as informed as I thought I was, but that won't change my vote."

Oh boy.

Obama, McCain Meet To Discuss Ways To Reduce Gov't Waste

I liked the title of this article so much I lifted it completely. How about we start with Congress? Ba-dum-diss (hello, hello...is this mic on?)

But seriously, the picture alone accompanying the story is enough to make even the most milquetoasty Republicans cringe. Look, I'm all for portraying an image of bipartisanship during a time of economic uncertainty, but the least McCain could have said was that he would work with the new administration to the extent that the work not compromise his deeply held beliefs of private enterprise and fiscal responsibility. At least play the part of the conservative, John.

Um...Thanks Rev. Jackson, Now Go Back To Irrelevancy

In a sermon before a Baltimore congregation last Sunday, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said he's concerned (emphasis mine) that President Bush's ideology is compounding the current tumultuous economic climate.

Maybe I'm attending the wrong church, but I can't recall the last time my priest launched into a critique of current or past administrations, let alone opined on issues related to economics or finance. Believe me, it would be a refreshing change.

But I digress. Commenting on his relationship with Barack Obama, Rev. Jackson said it is a "great one". While the article references Jackson's disparaging comments about Obama caught on mic last spring, it made no reference to Jackson's desire to cut off P-E Obama's balls.

Great one indeed. I may actually like the next four years.

Clinton To Bare All For Obama

No, no, nothing as seamy as all that, but I did get your attention. News from the New York Times this morning indicates that Obama advisors have begun looking into the Clintons' finances and other activities in preparation for a possible selection of Hillary Rodham Clinton for Secretary of State.

Two immediate reactions - the first, at this point what else could Bill Clinton be hiding that hasn't already been fodder for Republicans or used by the Obama campaign during the primaries? You know what, on second thought, I don't think I want to know the answer to this question...

The second, from a purely political perspective, I don't think it's an entirely unwise move. As the leader of his party, Obama will need to keep an eye toward the future of his party post-presidency. Joe Biden will be too old to assume the mantle of leadership in four or eight years, so Obama will need to groom a successor. One of the glaring holes in Hillary's candidacy during the primaries was her lack of foreign policy experience. As Secretary of State, Clinton will not only have a hand in shaping policy, but also accumulate a wealth of experience that would not have been afforded her as junior senator from New York. She is also not averse to reason or political reality and perhaps most importantly, she is neither Bill Richardson nor John Kerry.

The potential downside - and it's a big one - it will inevitably be a package deal. Obama will need to manage both Mrs. Clinton and her bloviating, narcissist of a husband Bill. The fact that discussions have gotten even this far indicates to me that Obama does not think this will present a problem.

We'll see....

Throwing Cold Water On Global Warming Science

It would seem that catastrophic global warming predictions will have to wait at least another month. Last Monday, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), announced that October had been the hottest month ever globally on record. The problem is no one explained that to Mother Nature – snow storms and record low temperatures had been reported from the Great Plains to Europe to China all during the month of October.

Oops, one teensy problem – the data comprising the readings were wrong. It seems the data computer models used for large portions of Russia, which had indicated readings of up to 10 degrees higher than normal, were not based off of October temperatures at all, but rather the previous month’s totals carried forward (what we in the data business call “smoothing”). Savvy bloggers caught the glaring error and reported it, much to the chagrin of the GISS.

In an effort to cover its tracks, GISS produced revised figures claiming to reveal a new Arctic “hotspot” – the trouble is is that last month satellite images captured Arctic sea ice recovering at rates of up to 30% of previous year levels. Strike two. GISS then explained that the data they received to reveal the Russian anomaly was produced by another party, and the GISS did not have adequate resources to check the quality of its data or the resulting work. Well isn’t that special?

Keep in mind, this is the same GISS that Nobel Prize winner Al Gore has so heavily relied upon and quoted over the years to back his dire global warming prognostications. And when people dare to question the data behind the analyses – why, they’re nothing more than global warming deniers.

After all, this is settled science – right?

A Few Housekeeping Items...

If I ever decide whether or not to take this blog outside of my immediate audience (which at this point, stands at me), there are a few rules that will govern its discourse:

• No profanity (ok, I sort of broke that one in my inaugural post, but please see below for further clarification)
• Please keep your responses civil and respectful
• Humor is always encouraged
• I am the final arbiter on all of the above

If you would like to contribute to the blog in the way of original material, please email me at mcgp223@hotmail.com

As I mentioned, this thing is still in its probationary stage. Mrs. Goldwater is ticked off enough with me for spending so much time on The Conservative Wahoo - just wait until she finds out about this.

And I Thought Tang Tasted Bad...

The space shuttle Endeavor lifted off from Cape Canaveral yesterday on a 15-day mission to remodel the international space station for an expanded crew.

Among the planned "refinements" includes a water recycling system that will enable the crew to purify urine and other wastewater for drinking.

And to think, I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid....

Pelosi Attaches Conditions to Detroit Bailout

If this wasn't so serious, it would be funny. Nancy Pelosi confirmed yesterday that the House will take up a bailout package for the auto industry, subject to certain "requirements", including new fuel efficiency standards, production of advanced vehicles and restructuring to maintain long-term economic viability (think that last one is aimed at union concessions? - nah, I didn't think so either).

Interesting...part of the reason Detroit is in this mess is because of retooling costs required by new federal fuel efficiency standards and emissions regulations, and Washington's response is to tie economic aid to....new fuel efficiency standards, requiring further retooling costs.

I favor allowing the Big 3 to file for bankruptcy protection; it will enable them to still produce cars (perhaps a little wiser this time) while restructuring for long-term competitiveness. The airline industry has managed to do the same, and remain unconvinced that it's not a viable alternative this time around either.

Perhaps Washington's urgency in staving this off may have more to do with protecting union interests than with saving the industry itself. I think any part of a sound bankruptcy restructuring plan would examine the cost savings in shifting more production outside of the US, to cheap labor pools like Mexico, India and China - which would understandably make the UAW a little nervous.

The More Some Things "Change"...

Vice presidential running mate part of the Washington political machine for over 30 years...check; a Clinton Administration veteran as White House Chief of Staff...check; Hillary Clinton and John Kerry bandied about as possible State candidates....check; and more recently, another Capitol Hill insider as White House Legislative Liaison.

Yep, feels to me like the winds of Change are upon us...

Welcome

For those of you who have stumbled upon my little social experiment, welcome.

I don't mean to start off my first blog posting sounding like a Penthouse Forum letter, but I never thought I'd be writing....er, um, it's not like I've ever read Penthouse Forum or anything, that's just what I've heard.

I initially tended to view blogs with distain; that is, until I was asked to host my brother's site a few months ago while he was off on vacation. For those of you interested, his blog is the Conservative Wahoo - please give it a read, you won't be disappointed.

As the nameplate implies, my hope for this site is that it will become a meeting place for the loyal opposition cast to the backbench of an Obama Administration. But please make no mistake, all views and opinions will be welcome and respected. But more on that later.

But all politics and no brain candy makes for dull reading and discussion. As you'll find as we go along together on this journey, I was raised like a veal. When other kids were riding bikes and enjoying the benefits of outdoor activity, I could be found in the comfort of climate control in front of the television. Like it or not, television, movies and other pop culture distractions have become an indelible fixture of our American society and politics - so I say we revel in it.

And if you don't agree with me on my mission statement, then get your own Goddamn blog!