36 Days Til ?

Today may have been one of the most bizarre that I have ever live through. First Senator McCain has a press conference and says a deal is done and how wonderful it is that he made this happen. Then the deal doesn't happen and it is Sen. Obama's fault. Then after Sen. Obama advises that we need to put politics behind us and make a deal happen, Sen "I really don't know what I think" McCain calls for a deal.

The sum total of this is a 777 point melt down of the stock market. What does this mean to me? Probably not a lot as I figure to work til I die, but to many people it means the loss of a lifetime of work and savings. It is the culmination of years of greed and stupidity and we are all paying for it.

On another point, I can give you a great idea for a debate: Lets have Sen. McCain debate himself and his VP candidate, Sen. Sarah "I was only talking to a voter so it doesn't count as a quote" Phalin. They seem to switch sides and have different opinions on many fronts and since neither really cares about the truth, it should be a rousing good time.

On a sad note, my big dog is not feeling well and I am very concerned for him. Hope Murray feels better tomorrow

37 Days Til?

I refer back to my comments on remembering history and the S&L collapse in the early 90's. I am speaking specifically about the Keating 5 and one of its most infamous members, none other than Sen. John McCain. He was not convicted of wrong-doing, but was chastised for making bad decisions. Now the Senator was in his 50's at the time this occurred and you would think by then he would have a strong enough sense of right and wrong to make the right choices. He didn't then, he didn't with his support of POTUS Bush and Iraq. He didn't with his support of deregulating the banking community and he didn't with his choice of a running mate, Gov Sarah "I'll get back to you on that" Palin.

If this is the mans track record, lets send him back to Arizona to live out his days in obscurity and not send him to the Whitehouse. I know Sen. Obama has his failings and there are many questions in my mind about him but on the issue of Republican Sen. John McCain my mind is made up.

38 Days til

The debate did nothing to change my mind. I don't think Sen. McCain has a grasp of the difficulties facing our economy. I think he focuses on a narrow vision and the big picture is too much for him. I wish both men had been forthcoming about their plans for dealing with the aftermath of the bail-out. What are we going to cut to pay for it? How are we going to reduce our debt? Can we have a fair tax-code? Are the lobbyists going to continue to control our government?

I think Sen Obama held his own in the foreign policy section. He did agree with McCain on several issues and this will hurt him but he got in a few shots including "a person with good judgement would have never had us in Iraq to begin with." He is correct that the surge is a tactic and is being used to reach a strategic priority: getting us some breathing room to get the he:: out of Iraq. I felt McCain made a blunder on his section about the bracelet. Yes it was touching, but if I were a family member of a VietNam vet, I would be upset with his characterization that their deaths had been in vain. They served their country as bravely as any soldier and just because the final object was not attained, he was diminishing them. Same with Korea. He should know better. And finally, he has been no friend to veterans. He is rated near the bottom in veterans affairs by the veterans themselves!

I think it was close but for Obama that is a win. He is ahead and he didn't need a big night, Sen McCain did.

I wonder how Gov. Sarah "I can see Russia from Alaska and that makes me a foreign affairs expert" Palin will fair Friday?

40 Days til?

I don't know what kind of Presidential candidate can't make a phone call and tell a TV host the truth. How hard can it be to say "Dave, I know that I am supposed to be at your place taping a show now but I have got to go cover for my VP candidate. She just made a mess with Katie and I have to try and cover the gaff." He didn't say this, instead he said he had to rush to Washington to save the economy. He didn't have time to tape the show, he was leaving for the capitol immediately. Well 22 hours later, he finally made it. I know that both sides stretch the truth and take liberties with the facts but to tell such a lie to a TV host is beyond comprehension. If this is the type of character that Sen. McCain thinks is presidential then I think my mind is made up on who to vote for. This needs to be and issue. If he can't stand up to David Letterman, how will he react to a real crisis. Oh, I know "the sky is falling, the sky is falling, but you can trust me because I am a maverick and tell the truth." NOT!

42 Days til ?

Sic weeks until election day and the picture is less than crystal clear.

I have so many questions I would like to have answered but I don't think that is going to happen. How can an economy that our President, Sen McCain and Sec Paulson say is "fundamentally sound" less than 10 days ago suddenly be in crisis. If the economy was sound why does the POTUS have a team working on a crisis plan and why does the VP only show up to do arm twisting on decisions that should be made in a calm and informed manner, yelling we must do this now. The sky is falling! The sky is falling! WE DIDN'T NEED TO RUSH INTO IRAQ AND WE SHOULDN'T RUSH INTO 700 BILLION DOLLARS OF DEBT.

If after a calm discussion it is determined that we need to bail out the banks, lets do it. Lets do it with a plan that has a chance of working and can be monitored, not in something hatched by POTUS and his cronies without seeing the light of day.

I also want to hear Gov "Failin with" Palin answer some questions. I am tired of her canned speech and I am tired of photo ops. I go back to the old Wendy's commercials "Where's the beef"
All I hear are platitudes and the party line mixed with exaggerations and no substance. I will not vote for someone on sound bites alone!

Day 43 til ?

The markets felt worse than I did today. They took another tumble and the Fed and Congress wrangled over how to best bail out Wall Street.

The campaign rhetoric is up and McCain says it is all Obama's fault. If Sen. Obama has enough power to create this fiasco as a Senator in less than four years then he is a power to behold. A junior who Sen. McCain says can't handle the job of POTUS but can ruin single handed the financial markets in such a short time, remarkable.

I tend to think it is the fact that thanks to Pres. Bush and his cronies, Sen. McCain included, the fox was watching the hen house. Lets review, you put a lot of type A personalities in charge of companies, they are awarded bonuses for huge profits and no one has over site and the situation gets out of control. Imagine that
1 Its like putting a six year old in a room with a glass of milk and a jar of cookies and saying make sure you only take a few, we know we can trust you. Guess what happens, a trillion dollar buyout.

We need free markets but not without some control. Look at the melt down of the S&L's in the 90's and whats happening now. Let the markets flow but at least have someone watching the 6 year-old with the cookies. It is obvious that Sen McCain and Sarah "Failin with" Palin are not willing or capable of this.

45 Days til ?

I saw a friend at dinner this evening and we briefly discussed the presidential election. He said he was undecided on who to vote for but was looking at McCain because he has two daughters and liked the thought of them having a woman to look up to. I can understand this but not the woman who the Repubs have thrown at us.

I have women in my life that I admire and they are strong women who are intelligent and think for themselves. The difference is they don't have to impress their will on others to make their point. They think for themselves work hard and don't take credit for what others do or embellish their activities (ie lie). I am proud to call them friends, neighbors, wife and mother. I trust their judgement and their opinions and they are nothing like Sarah Palin. For this I will be forever greatful.