From politics (moderates who lean to the right) to Pogo (drools during poker stare) to rants (Whatcha expect from savvy, sassy sexagenarians?) to raves (Have you had your kudo today?) -- we never take ourselves too seriously.
We do, however, reserve the right to slaughter an occasional sacred cow. And in case we fail to mention it -- we will never forget....
Anyone who views this video and expects this man to wage a serious campaign -- much less maintain an upright position for an extended period of time (unless every campaign stop is equipped with a golf cart and oxygen tank) -- is either a democrat or an illiterate TV re-run addicted far-right idealist. This man looks and sounds sick. Sick. Unhealthy. Sick. Not well. Sick.
Whoever approved this "bobble-head" video must have been a billary operative. Please don't embarrass this man any more.
No wonder the dems are stepping up their attacks on Mitt Romney.
Today is Labor Day, first celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882. The holiday was the idea of the Central Labor Union in New York City, which organized a parade and a picnic featuring speeches by union leaders. It was intended to celebrate labor unions, call for the eight-hour workday, and to recognize the achievements of the American worker.
Many of the labor laws those early activists wanted were passed in the 1930s, including the eight-hour workday and the 40-hour workweek. Most sociologists predicted that in the coming decades Americans would work steadily fewer and fewer hours. But in fact, the opposite has happened. Today, more than 25 million Americans work more than 49 hours each week. And 11 million spend 60 hours or more at work each week. Americans also take fewer vacation days than employees in any other industrialized nation, making Americans the hardest-working (or most overworked) industrialized nation on the planet.
Labor Day Traditions:
Commonly referred to as the last day(weekend) of summer .... Labor Day is also celebrated by having picnic, group gathering, flea markets, yard sales, celebrating events of the summer and relaxing throughout the day. Some cities have parades and community picnics. Many politicians "kick off' their political campaigns by holding rallies on the holiday. Most Americans consider Labor Day the end of the summer, and the beaches and other popular resort areas are packed with people enjoying one last three-day weekend.
And did we mention football? Colleges generally begin their season this weekend -- followed by the NFL.
And don't forget the US Open in tennis, which concludes on Labor Day weekend.
An old custom eschewed wearing white after Labor Day. The custom is rooted in nothing more than popular fashion etiquette. In actuality, the etiquette originally stated that white shoes were the taboo while white or "winter white" clothes were acceptable. This custom is fading from popularity as it continues to be questioned and challenged, particularly by leaders in the fashion world. "Fashion magazines are jumping on this growing trend, calling people who 'dare' to wear white after Labor Day innovative, creative, and bold. Slowly but surely, white is beginning to break free from its box, and is becoming acceptable to wear whenever one pleases. This etiquette is comparable to the Canadian fashion rule against wearing green after Remembrance Day. In the world of western attire, it is similarly tradition to wear a straw cowboy hat until Labor Day. After Labor Day, the felt hat is worn until Memorial Day.
Most writers have worked day jobs at some point in their careers to support their writing, and many have been inspired by those day jobs. Salman Rushdie was an advertising man, and so was Allen Ginsberg. Wallace Stevens worked for an insurance company. Charles Bukowski worked, among other things, as a janitor, a truck driver, and a bouncer for a brothel. Walt Whitman worked for a while as a teacher in series of windowless, poorly heated, one-room schoolhouses for almost no money. While teaching at one school, he wrote to a friend, "How tired and sick I am of this wretched, wretched hole! — ... O, damnation, damnation! Thy other name is school-teaching."
And for those who have endured the smothering heat of August and the wretched natural disasters of fire and water this summer -- may this Labor Day holiday, indeed, be a day of peaceful rest.
Every day is labor day for those who search to relieve our dependence on Middle East and South American oil. As northern fields off the Alaskan coast age, a new ocean field is being drilled. The setting is the Gulf of Mexico.
This article provides insight into the fascinating work that is currently underway.
I've always felt that rebuilding New Orleans should be the responsibility of those who would most profit from it's rebirth: the oil and entertainment industries -- not the government or taxpayers.
In '007 they took a little trip Obama and Shill'ry down the mighty Mississip. They took a bit o' bacon and took a bait of beans And we caught the lyin' Moonbats in the town of New Orleans.
BO and Shrillary are leading a Democrat backwash to Naw'lins to save the city. Oh, yeah.
They're gonna plug the dikes with tax dollars, bullion the natural flow of the Mississippi, re-finance flood-plain homes, dump sand dollars to halt impeding Gulf erosion, and levy (levee?) enough funds to float sunken casinos.
And in their spare time -- they're gonna rebuild bridges, clean up crime on Canal Street, polish brass railings, replant thousand-year old cyprus trees, re-hang the moss, refurbish a Streetcar named Desire, replace flop houses with half-way houses, make cheap wine from stagnant water, exchange every bulldozer for a Cadillac, provide free housing to illegal immigrants in those empty hillside trailer parks, and offer subsidized vacation packages to tourists.
Oh yeah. Almost forgot.
And blame Bush for everything: from Luziannah government graft, to Category 5 hurricanes, to Katrina, to sending Col. Jackson to fight the British in 1814, for allowing the French to lay claim to the region in 1718.
** Such as those ever-caring congress-critters giving themselves NOT a raise, but an "automatic cost of living adjustment." After they raised minimum wages 70 cents, of course. The average annual income for congress-critters is now approx. $185,000. Not bad. Especially when most of their other expenses are classified as "perks."
** Older men (such as Herb) who forget that top steps on a ladder aren't.
** Folks who cheer when Bonds blasts another one outta the park. And I don't even watch baseball 'cept during the playoffs. And if the Yankees aren't playing, I don't even watch then. I just don't care for Barry Bonds. On or off steroids.
** Like NOT banning all products made in China until those screw-heads stop poisoning U.S. pets and children.
** Politics. Especially not participating in any more debates. BO has given himself a nice exit excuse: he's going back to "doing the job" he was elected to do .....
There oughta be a law that members of congress who run for a higher office should resign their seats. Let's see how many REALLY wanna put their annual "automatic cost of living adjustment" incomes on the line.
** Be-littling ole FRED! for wearing expensive shoes on a <ahem> non-political poli-stumpin' golf cart ride through the Iowa fairgrounds.
Shoes???
The way ole FRED! looks, he shoulda stayed home in his bedroom slippers. The man is sick, I tell ya. Sick.
And then Jeri dresses him in that polo shirt with his man-boobies bouncing in the hot sun. Not pretty. Sad, actually.
::::shaking head ::::: The man is too sick to be in this race.
** Such as allowing an illegal immigrant to leave her sanctuary to protest illegal immigration.
Why not arrest the woman as soon as she steps outside the hole she's been hiding in ..... Call it "Groundhag Day."
** Let the Chinese and Spanish North American Union financiers replace the MN bridge that collapsed .....
Why use taxpayers' money to replace a bridge on the designated SuperHighway route between Mexico and Canada?
** Will the GOP recruit Sandy "Burglar"Berger to steal docs from the "First Lady's Archives" that Shillary won't release from Bill's Internationally-funded Presidential Library? Whoever heard of a First Lady needing to "close" an archive -- must less having one, anyway??!!
Must be some powerful anti-Hillary info in those files .... Will the Swift Boat Vets jump ship and join an "Open-the-Archives-Truth Barge"?
** If Ron Paul were to withdraw from the race for the Presidency, would his supporters roll up their bed-sheet banners and (please) go home? Unlikely. They're a lot like a bad case of poison oak: the more you scratch, the more it spreads.
** The same can be said for Huckabuck and Brownpuck. Take down the tents, boys. The revival is moving to the next county. How about century?
** And what did Kathy Lee actually do to be criticized for leaving the Regis and Kathy Lee Show? Wasn't that what her critics wanted? She deserves to live her life in privacy (which she did when she left to care for a parent with Alzheimer's.) Why not include her in the reunion show? Heck --- bring her back and call it ANOTHER VIEW: Regis and Joy and Kelly and Kathy Lee.
Their multitude of fans can listen again to a whiney, wimpy, hen-pecked radio announcer vent about his wife and daughter while jousting with an intellectually inferior ex-soap opera diva (married to a hunk, btw) and his former songstress-partner who will once again entertain us with stories of the cutsie antics of her two children and a beloved (though once-wayward) hubbie who managed to advance from the football field to the broadcast booth without a trace of the ravages of steroids.
** I think it's wonderful that Carl Rove has resigned from public service. Or whatever you call his advisory role to the President. He deserves a break after almost single-handedly out-witting every dhimmocrat in congress for the last 8 years or so.
Can't wait to see who the libs will label as the next GOP fall-guy .... GWB is not up for reelection .... Tony Snow will leave soon .... I suggest they consider some totally ineffective Republican operative such as that idiot from SC .... what's his name? Graham. Lindsay. Ole Lindsay will be a much easier frog-marching target than, for example, Mitt Romney. I'm fairly confident that any bashing of Mitt will be done from a safe distance. One hapless media-mutt was enough to prove that cool and competent Mitt can swiftly become a Stormun' Mormon when confronted.
Mitt Romney continues to demonstrate his command of the issues. Observers credit his personal and professional credentials as well as his organizational prowess.
I've referred to him as the consummate candidate. MM's 2-part interview illustrates why.
Of course it's early in the campaign cycle, but let's get the naysayers out of the way before looking at Romney's success in the Iowa straw vote -- where he garnered nearly 32% of votes:
Romney "bought" the vote.
Rudy, McCain and ole [undeclared] Fred didn't campaign there.
It's early in the campaign.
Beginner's luck.
Straw votes mean nothing.
What do folks in Iowa know about what this country needs?
Look at who finished second and third and fourth ....
And oh yeah, he's Mormon ....
1. Campaigns have always cost money. Especially the campaign for the Presidency of the United States. Using one of ole Fred's quips: "If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch."
Money PLUS organization (grassroots campaign organizers, chartering buses, and issues win campaigns. Romney had all three.
Note: Huckabee campaign officials deny directly funding bus transportation to Ames, but other groups supporting him did -- as did other "non-Romney" voter groups.
2. Not participating in Iowa may come back to haunt those who didn't campaign in this historic straw vote. Iowa voters were not impressed by the supposed "national" standings. The initial response is that none of the "front runners" wanted to waste their funds on a losing proposition (against Mitt) -- opting instead for "Iowa drive by's" while focusing on the New Hampshire straw vote.
Rudy is attempting a "post" campaign (he's in Ames TODAY and this week -- to "clarify" his message -- after the vote), realizing that his stance(s) on critical issues were too "liberal" for the heartland ...
Sen. John McCain didn't campaign in Iowa. He knew better than to rile up conservatives any more than he had already done with his immigration stance ... Yet he also will be in Iowa this week.
Even ole Fred -- who had neither the money, the organization nor sufficient time to decide to decide whether he was even running -- will visit Iowa this week. (Whether or not he'll be "campaigning" is up to interpretation. Maybe he has suddenly located a long-lost relative he wants to visit and will stop before his greeters to utter a few addages before riding off into the sunset on a leased tractor.)
Mitt Romney knew how critical the Iowa state straw vote would be in his candidacy.
3. Iowa is the first straw vote for the Presidency. Of course it's "early." That's why (before this year, of course), the results have ALWAYS been critical (i.e., relevant, important, significant, news-worthy, etc.) to the winner of the Republican nomination for President.
Team Romney knew this. So did the other candidates. So what changed?
One change of note: This year (as opposed to previous years when ANYONE who bought a ticket could vote), straw poll voters had to have proof of Iowa residency.
Another change of note: Team Romney literally canvassed the Iowa heartland with a campaign they will take nationwide. Which costs money. And especially organization. Which no other Republican candidate had or has. So rather than losing a critical (see above) straw vote -- they chose not to campaign.
The result: Iowa became a legitimate "straw" caucus focused on voting-issues and not the "straw" circus that Rudy's, John's, ole Fred's or even Ron Paul's minions wanted!
(Reference: note the number of out-of-state licensed vehicles that carried Ron Paul stickers, the voracity of his supporters and his low vote count .... )
4. Beginner's luck? This is politics. In politics, you "make" your own luck via an organization that garners resources around relevant issues which are succinctly and effectively communicated to the electorate. This is a political campaign. A campaign for the most prestigious office in the world. Regardless of the alibi for not participating -- if a candidate does not have the resources (fiscal and personnel AND a command of the issues which address the concerns of the electorate) -- you lose.
Mitt Romney, for those who haven't noticed, is neither a "beginner" nor simply "lucky." He is a consummate and experienced executive -- politically and organizationally. Check his corporate and political resume if you have questions about his credentials.
5. If "straw" votes mean nothing this year, why have they been so significant in the past? If they are no more relevant (as some bloggers suggest) than online polls or newspaper surveys -- why have state straw votes previously been described as an indicator of national (or even regional) voter preferences???
... maybe when and if you agree with the results, you're more likely to accept the "relevance" of the results?
6. What do Iowans know?
They know Mitt Romney.
Iowans have historically taken pride in being the first state to cast their straw votes as indicators of the front-runner(s) in the campaign for the presidency. By location, they are the heartland of our nation and represent the grassroots of America's philosophy, America's concerns and America's future.
They also know that candidates who failed to campaign -- for whatever reason (or those such as Brownback who use negative telephone and email tactics) -- failed to respect the historical relevance of the Iowa straw vote .... Showing up "after the fact" (such as Rudy is doing this week) will have little impact on the initial insult to their intelligence, either ....
7. Look at who finished second? Third? Fourth? etc.?
Someone had to finish second, third, fourth, etc. Consider regionalism (in lieu of "favorite son" status -- call it "favorite cousin" status), as an indicator of Huckabee's finish. Nothing wrong with the guy. He supposedly campaigned very little in Iowa. Didn't need to. The former Arkansas Governor didn't need to remind folks of his heritage or philosophy.
It also appears that Brownback's campaign of negative phone calls and emails had minimal effect against Romney or for his campaign.
The issue should be "look at who finished first!" A former conservative governor of one of the most liberal states in the nation won a straw poll in a moderate-to-highly conservative state located in the heartland of this nation!
8.And, oh, yeah -- he's Mormon ....
So?
A group of allegedly Evangelical Christians attempted to distract Iowa voters with this "reality" yesterday. Didn't work then. Won't work in November.
Nor did Brownback's negative run of phone calls and emails.
Americans recognize (in spite of detractors) that Mitt Romney is not a candidate for pastor-in-chief. He's a candidate for the President of the United States.
Iowa knows the difference. That's why they overwhelmingly chose Mitt Romney in their straw vote yesterday.
-- Convincingly, too. Attracting 31.5 percent of 14,000 eligible voters.
Naysayers are pointing out that 20,000+ voted in the last straw vote -- suggesting that had Rudy, McCain or ole Fred actively campaigned, the turn-out would have been greater.
Maybe. Maybe not.
This year, voters were required to provide Iowa ID to cast a vote.
Which may be one reason Fred, Rudy and John -- i.e., the other front "leaders" stayed home and why Ron Paul failed to challenge anyone except the no-shows.
Congratulations to Team Mitt. His "investments" in Iowa will go far beyond the state's borders. Hopefully, the Iowa grassroots organization will take him all the way to the White House.
