Is Kennedy Now The Swing Vote?

Now that Judge Alito has officially been confirmed, does this mean that Justice Kennedy is now the proverbial swing vote? If Dubya could appoint replacements for Stevens and Ginsburg, Ol' BC would feel much more comfortable with the nine who possess the final say.

While Bush has lacked in many areas, in my opinion, his SCOTUS nominees appear to be good. Hopefully, he'll get to appoint a couple more.

Just a thought.

Savings Falls To Depression Level

This AP article says we're spending everything we make and then some. That's scary.

The Commerce Department reported Monday that Americans' personal savings
fell into negative territory at minus 0.5 percent last year. That means that
people not only spent all of their after-tax income last year but had to dip
into previous savings or increase their borrowing.
The savings rate has been
negative for an entire year only twice before _ in 1932 and 1933 _ two years
when Americans were having to deplete savings to cope with the massive job
layoffs and business failures caused by the Great Depression.

Wow. Ol' BC wonders what it will be like when the baby boomers are all retired and only the immediate gratification types still work. This is one of the very best reasons for personal social security accounts. I know the liberals don't want any additional people amassing any wealth, but if I was twenty-something or even thirty-something I would be screaming to Washington to get personal accounts authorized. We can see where this nation is headed.

Just a thought.

Saddam, Team Leave Trial In Protest

This article tells of it.

Is this close to constituting a forfeit? They seem to be anxious to hang Saddam, but want to make sure he has a fair trial. Then again, it seems he really doesn't care much. He keeps trying to say uncle and they won't let him. What a shame.

Just a thought.

How Much???? $234 million???

Ol' BC had run across this before but I couldn't recall where. Largebill must have seen it too.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States warned on Friday it may cut back
its $234 million aid earmarked for Palestinians this year because the militant
group Hamas was expected to form a new Palestinian government.

Why in the world are we sending them millions of dollars in the first place?

Just a thought.

Optimistic State Of The Union Address

According to this article, Dubya is going to give an " optimistic " agenda in his State of the Union Address. Here's hoping that optimistic agenda includes getting a grip on government spending and pushing through a meaningful tax cut for those of us who work.

Just a thought.

Conservatives Carry Canada

First Angela Merkel in Germany. Now, Stephen Harper in Canada. What IS going on?

This article tells of them wanting to repair relations with the United States and wanting to cut taxes. This could lead to real economic growth in Canada. Maybe those folks are starting to see the light.

Just a thought.

American Idol....Homophobic?

Where do these morons come from and how do they get media coverage? Are we just in search of the nutcases to make the news in these times? You can read it here.

Officials at the Gay And Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) were
appalled by homophobic remarks made by judges SIMON COWELL and RANDY JACKSON on
the first show of the new season, which aired in America on Tuesday (17JAN06).

Maybe the good folks at GLAAD just need to get a sense of humor.

Just a thought.

The Next Big Problem?

This article answers some of the questions about the United States and its automobile companies and why Japan is kicking their butts on a regular basis.

“

As much as I would prefer to ‘buy American,’ I am not going to subsidize the
huge pensions and inflated salaries that the United Auto Workers union (UAW) has
extorted from Detroit by buying a sub-standard automobile,” Paul said. “The UAW
and their kind are going to be the undoing of the American car manufacturing
industry as we currently know it. What rises from the ashes may be an automobile
manufacturer that will stand up to the UAW and build cars that actually give
people their money’s worth.”

This pretty much sums it up. People are not nearly as patriotic as they once were. Most of us didn't have Germans and Japanese shooting at us. We are much more "I" centered than ever before. If "I" don't benefit, "I" don't care about the rest of you or your country. At some point, maybe they'll wish they had cared a little about it. Times change rapidly in this ol' world. The model business of the 1950's and 1960's (General Motors) is now a dinosaur. Think about it. Toyota is soon to be king with Honda nipping at their heels. The good thing, however, is that the union boys at the Big Three had a pretty good life for a couple of generations. The next couple of generations could be looking for a job though.

Just a thought.

Waiting On The ACLU To Challenge MLK Day

As the nation observes the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Ol' BC can't help but wonder where the American Civil Liberties Union is during all of this holiday stuff. Here we have our great nation observing the birthday of a Baptist Pastor, clearly a Christian, in an era when anything remotely Christian has come under fire. One can only imagine the discomfort of the tens of non-Christians in the country while the nation celebrates. The time is now for the ACLU to act. Pretty soon this country's schools will discard "winter" break for "Christmas" break, then where will we be?

Just a thought.

Maryland's Bad Law Could Cost Business

This article tells the story. Now, it seems, Maryland is requiring larger businesses to spend 8 percent of their payroll on employee health care. One can't help but wonder whether there will be a wage freeze in Maryland or companies looking to move from Maryland or both. It seems logical that very few if any companies would have any interest in opening in or relocating to Maryland. If the state government will intervene to this magnitude, it's no telling what the future will hold. This is a dangerous beginning.

Congratulations to the governor who had the good sense to veto the bill. Shame on the Donk legislature that overrode the veto. What effect will this have on companies that hire part time, temporary or seasonal help? Many of those don't work enough hours to qualify for benefits but do impact the company payroll. What about the companies that hire a lot of high school and college students in the summer? Are the students going to have a tough time in Maryland?

Just a thought.

Iraqi Writes

Tom Bowler has it here. It appears he doesn't see eye to eye with what the mainstream media and the Donks want us to believe.

Just an observation.

Another Idiot Identifies Himself

As I sit and watch the Alito hearings, I see that another nut has surfaced. Senator Kohl of Wisconsin, please stand up! The normal nuts proved themselves once again (i.e. Leahy, Kennedy, Feinstein, Biden), but Kohl struck me as way out there. He just came out and said that if the law didn't provide for the desired outcome, shouldn't you make it the outcome anyway? Wow!


Now he's addressing Feinstein's questions on the Commerce Clause. This is the most important issue facing the nation. MOST people really don't care about Roe. Feinstein didn't seem to make much headway. Now she's back to Roe to pacify her base.

Anyway, Admiral Kennedy has absolutely lost it or he was drunker than Otis Campbell!

More later.

Just an observation.

More On College Mascots

While reading a column in a local newspaper (yes, Ol' BC still reads the daily paper), I found that there are still some issues out there with the NCAA and their asinine position concerning native American mascots. This George Will column is very enlightening as well as somewhat humorous. Much of it is dedicated to the University of Illinois and their relationship with and contributions by a particular tribe.

In 1930 the student then portraying Chief Illiniwek traveled to South Dakota to
receive authentic raiment from the Oglala Sioux. In 1967 and 1982,
representatives of the Sioux, who had not yet discovered that they were supposed
to feel abused, came to the Urbana-Champaign campus to augment the outfits Chief
Illiniwek wears at football and basketball games.

Apparently, they still haven't discovered they are supposed to feel abused. With all the drugs, steroids, arrests, etc., one would think the NCAA might be able to better use their time and muscle.

But in any case, why should anyone's disapproval of a nickname doom it?
When, in the multiplication of entitlements, did we produce an entitlement for
everyone to go through life without being annoyed by anything, even a team's
nickname? If some Irish or Scots were to take offense at Notre Dame's Fighting
Irish or the Fighting Scots of Monmouth College, what rule of morality would
require the rest of us to care? Civilization depends on, and civility often
requires, the willingness to say, "What you are doing is none of my business"
and "What I am doing is none of your business."

Well, George that may be a little bit deep for some who like to intervene in lieu of doing something productive, but it is so so astute.

Just an observation.

Alito Gets Highest Rating From ABA

But does that mean he'll have an easier confirmation? Ol' BC thinks not. The left wing of the Democrats (that constitutes most of them) will fight with all their might. Those comfortable in their districts will vote against this guy. That's a shame. It's a mockery of the confirmation process. This article tells more.

The ABA's highest rating won't stop some from attacking Alito, said Sen. John
Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"Unfortunately,
the hard left groups decided long before these ratings were announced that they
would oppose his nomination," Cornyn said Wednesday. "And some Senate Democrats,
including some who have previously described the ABA's evaluation as the gold
standard, will now dismiss the rating as meaningless."

That's it in a nutshell folks. What a shame.

Just a thought.

Happy New Year

As 2006 begins, and by the way, I hope for all of us it is better than the one that just passed, Ol' BC wanted to share a good e-mail I received. It isn't anything most of us don't know, but we need reminding from time to time.

"The Way I See It!"
By Dan O’Neal

I find it hard to believe that
the New York Times and the Washington Post are actually on America’s side. If
you read these two so called newspapers you will know what I mean. They are
constantly bashing anything that this country does. Why? Simple they hate George
W. Bush and everything he stands for. They hate him so bad that they want the
United States to loose the War on Terror to discredit the Presidents
Administration and the President himself.
Imagine it is 1942 and the New York
Times and the Washington Post printed a story that the U.S. had broken the
Imperial Japanese code the day before the Battle of Midway. One of two things
would have happened. One we would have lost the Battle of Midway severely
damaging the efforts to win WWII. Or the Japanese would not have engaged the
U.S. Fleet and regrouped formed a new code and attacked at a different time and
maybe a different place. Either scenario would have prolonged the war and cost
the U.S. more lives. Or suppose the Germans learned the day before D-Day that
the U.S. had a machine that let us read the Germans highest-level transmissions
from an article in the New York Times or Washington Post. Once again the outcome
might have been drastically different. Costing more American lives and
prolonging the war.
I bring up these two scenarios because that is what the
so-called mainstream media is doing today. By disclosing sensitive information
if not classified information from chicken sh@# anonymous
sources telling of so called secret CIA prisons where enemies of the U.S. are
being held and interrogated. Or making a big deal out of the President ordering
secret wire taps of suspected terrorist in the U.S. by the NSA. I am personally
glad this is going on! But the so-called main stream media are willingly aiding
and abetting the terrorist allowing them to change their tactics by revealing
this information. This can serve no purpose other than prolong the War on Terror
and cost more Americans their life.
They say they print these stories
because of the "peoples right to know". This is just plain B.S. it is the news
medias way of hurting the Administration and it’s efforts to keep us safe at
home.
I ask you. Does the average American citizen care that the CIA has
secret prisons to interrogate enemies of the U.S.? Does the average American
citizen care about the NSA secret wire taps on suspected terrorist in the U.S.?
According to a recent Gallup Poll, THEY DON’T! When asked 86 percent of the
American people polled DIDN’T CARE!
73 percent stated when asked said that
they were glad these things were going on!
So why does the New York Times
and the Washington Post bring all of this information to light now? After all
they have had this information since May 2005. The answer is simple. The Patriot
Act is up for renewal. The New York Times and The Washington Post have sat on
this story for six months waiting for the right time to spring it. They
deliberately waited until the Patriot Act debate came before the Senate in an
effort to give the President a defeat. Clearly another attempt to discredit the
President and his Administration. The Patriot Act must be reinstated as it is.
If you aren’t doing anything wrong you have nothing to fear from the Patriot
Act. Someone asked me if I would like to have my e-mail tapped or phone
conversations monitored? I said I don’t care let them! I say this because if
they monitored my communications, they would soon be bored to death and move on.
I suspect that it would be the same way with 95 percent of Americans going about
their normal lives. We need to use every weapon short of nuclear at are disposal
to fight and win this War on Terror. This is one fight we must win! The sooner
everyone understands this the better off and more victorious the U.S. will
be!
As far as the New York Times and the Washington Post is concerned they
need to have their White House Press credentials pulled and not be allowed any
contact with any government agencies. There needs to be a news black out when it
comes to any news organization revealing classified information. Yes the First
Amendment to the Constitution gives us freedom of the press. But, I don’t think
our founding fathers intended for the press to use that information to aid the
enemy and attempt to discredit the President and his Administration.
As it
stands right now The New York Times and The Washington Post might as well be a
propaganda paper for Al-Jazeera!

Yeah, it's an opinion piece, but we read so many of them and every now and then you can sense a sincere writing.

Just an observation.