Naughty and Nice

The cold winds of December remind me that 2011 is finally winding down. In about a week, we will raise wine glasses to honor the passing year, and make proclamations for the next.  Good health, job security, success on the football field and good friends are reasons to give thanks.  But while such wishes are quick to leave our lips, no one really knows what is in store for 2012.

As proof of such folly, I bring you the good and bad of 2011.

Unpredictable to say the least -- in politics, we've endured Republican debates, a Washington deep freeze and state recall mania;  in sports, we've had historic athletic achievements, sexual perversions in the shower and a pursuit of baseball's coveted MVP; on the home front, we're finding that there is life after kids leave for college, the exciting world of the blogging and aging (not so) gracefully.

As much as I would like to think I have some control of the events that occurred in 2011 (in particular in my life and by default my kids and wife), I've begun to realize my input ends the minute I get out of bed in the morning.  The rest of the day is often spent in a three point stance, waiting for the hard count, then finishing in a cloud of dust.

As a result, I take great pride in handing out my observations of who's made the news this year.  So sit by the fire, warm your hands while you sip hot cocoa and read who's made the list of naughty and nice.


Those receiving something good in 2011

• The Green Bay Packers regain the "America's Team" moniker after overcoming a season full of injuries to key defensive and offensive players, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in Super Bowl XVI.
• Packer's quarterback, Aaron Rogers, stakes his case for 2011 MVP season with a passer rating over 120.00, more than 40 touchdowns, and an impressive 13-1 record though mid-December.
• Monte Ball's election as a Heisman finalist comes as a pleasant surprise.  After a mediocre 2010, Ball re-dedicated himself to Wisconsin football by losing weight and gaining strength.  For his efforts in 2011, he has scored 39 touchdowns, second most in NCAA history.
• I am able to finish the 51st running of the Maple Leaf 5 mile race in 45 minutes 23 seconds, beating an aging contingent of wannabe runners (and senior citizens in wheel chairs).
• Russell Wilson's transfer to Wisconsin gives the Badgers a legitimate shot at National Championship game.  Despite being derailed in losses to Michigan State and Ohio State, Wilson leads Badgers to crucial win in the inaugural BIG TEN Championship Game.
• Scott Walker takes on collective bargaining after becoming state's 45th Governor of Wisconsin.  Despite opposition from President Obama, national labor unions and frenzied protestors, Walker and Republican legislators pass law which limits collection bargaining rights of public unions.
• Looking for a new challenge, my wife accepts the job of starting up an anti coagulation service at Franciscan Skemp.  
• The Milwaukee Brewers win NL Central Division with 96-66 record, clinching their first division title in 28 years.  In playoffs, Brewers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks before losing to eventual World Series champs, St Louis Cardinals.
• Squirrel Factory begins in early January to rousing applause, despite Facebook opposition from liberal family members who remove me from their "friends" list.
• The end of the Iraq War.   Coalition deaths totaled 4,803 -- of which 4,484 (93%) were American.  The number of Americans wounded was 32,200.  The Congressional Research Service puts the dollar cost of Operation Iraqi Freedom at $806 billion.
• The return of Tim Allen to television in "Last Man Standing" on ABC.  It's good to see him struggling as the only man in a household full of women. 
• The race between 12-year incumbent David Prosser, Jr. and challenger Assistance Attorney general JoAnee Kloppenburg gains significant publicity as it is widely seen as a referendum on Gov. Walker's budget reforms.  Justice Prosser wins the seat after Kloppenburg mistakenly claims victory on election night.
• Tebowing becomes an overnight sensation after Denver quarterback Tim Tebow turns the Broncos into a playoff contender.  His public praise to God causes ESPN and national media outlets to wonder, "Does God decide who wins games in the NFL?"
• My son, Sean, graduates from Central High School and heads to Eau Claire to "bring new meaning to our exisitence through Biology."
• Mayor Matt Harter stands up to La Crosse's City Council, fighting back attempts to raise property taxes, increase the size of local government (including Fire and Police departments), and the hire of a City Administrator.
• Seventy-year-old North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-il dies of a heart attack, allowing his son, Kim Jong-eun to step in as "The Great Successor."  Citizens, upon hearing the news, cry in despair as they wonder if Jong-eun will be able to lead them out of the 1900's.
• Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden is captured and killed.  bin Laden was shot and killed inside his private residential compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan by U.S. Navy Seals and CIA operatives.  The "Jihadist Sheik" was the founder of Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the U.S.

Those receiving a lump of coal in 2011

• In a setback for black conservatives, Herman Cain rises to the top of the Republican ticket before suspending his campaign due to unconfirmed sexual harassment charges and a decade-long affair.  Media rushes to judgement by publishing more than 90 negative stories within the first 5 days.
• The "Hebrew Hammer," Ryan Braun, is accused of testing positive for elevated testosterone, leading to a possible 50 game suspension for 2012.  The Milwaukee Brewer LF claims it was not a performance enhancing drug but a medication he was taking for an undisclosed illness.
• The Freedom From Religion Foundation claims a nativity scene isn't appropriate for a state building.  Annie Laurie Gaylor says her group is seeking a permit for its own display, one that's "slightly blasphemous" and an "irreverent tweak" on the nativity scene.  For years, the FFRF has maintained a sign in the State Capitol during the Christmas season which reads:  "At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail.  There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell.  There is only our natural world.  Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."
• Waivers from Washington D.C. for health care.  As a sign of the implausibility of Obama's health plan, the Department of Health and Human Services issued more than 1,000 waivers for plans that could not meet the new federal requirements.  Many of them union controlled.
• Dan Kapanke loses his State Senate seat to Democrat Jennifer Shilling.  Despite claiming "tonight is the beginning of balance and accountability" in Madison, the Democrats fail to win the three seats needed to take back control of the Senate and block Gov. walker's conservative agenda.  A good man goes down to teacher self interest and union greed.
• The Penn State sex abuse scandal brings down head football coach Joe Paterno and school president Graham Spanier after fellow coach Jerry Sandusky is accused of sexually assaulting eight underaged boys.
• Solyndra becomes the third solar company to belly-up when it lost more than half a million dollars in taxpayer money.  After endorsing a loan of $535 million, President Obama said, "Companies like Solyndra are leading the way toward a brighter and more prosperous future."
• Anything related to Washington politics.  The Senate and House of Representatives are full of career politicians who write their own rules, push for favorable positions with  the media, and enjoy gold-plated benefits (including automatic pay raises, full pensions and Cadillac health care).  2011 uncovered their favorable position with insider trading. leading many to get even richer.
• Occupy Wall Street protesters, claiming to represent the 99% (poor and middle class) camp out to complain about high unemployment, greed, corruption and undue influence of corporations.  Miraculously, President Obama and corrupt politicians escape their misguided wrath.
• Switching internet, television and phone service.  Whether it's Charter, CenturyLink or Direct TV -- it doesn't matter.  Never has something so simple been so complicated as switching from one provider to another.  If I never have to speak to customer service again, it'll be too soon.
• The 2011 Men's NCAA Basketball Championship game is a real stinker when #3 seed Connecticut defeats #8 seed Butler, 53-41.  A combined total of 41 points are scored in the first half, causing many sports fans to ask "I paid $300 a ticket for this trash?"
• Washington passes the buck on dealing with tough economic issues facing our nation.  The current national debt is over $15 trillion dollars, and social security and medicare will have a budget shortfall between $80-$120 trillion dollars within the decade. 
• Reality television sinks to new lows with Bad Girls Club, Battle of the Bods, Ashley Page:  Bikini or Bust, 16 and Pregnant, Hole in the Wall, Hunky Handyman, Losing it With Jillian, Paris Hilton's My New BFF and my favorite, Snoop Dogg's Father Hood.
• Testing viewers tolerance for the bizarre, Dancing with the Stars selects Chaz Bono, J. R. Martinez, Nancy Grace, Ricki Lake, Rob Kardashian and Ron Artest.
• The punishing recession of 2011 puts Eastman Kodak, Blackberry-maker Research in Motion, Office Max,Netflix, Hewlett-Packard, Sears and Best Buy on the edge of irrelevance and bankruptcy.
• Real unemployment numbers remain near 16% as the recession continues into its 3rd year.

To a better year in 2012 (and another Super Bowl).

Out of Bounds

I have a friend who can't stand college football.

He doesn't thinks the talent is there and with so many different teams (from vastly different conferences) flooding the television, he doesn't think it rises to the level of legitimate competition.

Typically I'd have to disagree, since there are plenty of exciting games to be watched, whether it's football, basketball or hockey.  (I draw the line on almost every other sport -- including baseball, gymnastics, wrestling, volleyball and soccer, which just don't draw the fans or money needed to make it worth watching).

So while I find watching college sports a terrific experience (who didn't enjoy the two Michigan State / Wisconsin football games this year?) there are three things that drive me crazy about college sports.  In particular, football.

 

Number one, the media's love affair with the SEC and traditional powers like Texas, Oklahoma and any team from Florida.  As an example, in an early pre-season poll, ESPN had eight SEC teams listed in the top 25, including Alabama and LSU.  When you start high in any poll, it makes it much easier to climb to the top (and stay there), attract better recruits, and garner attention that leads to winning individual awards.

Look at the comparison between Wisconsin and Alabama and what happened after each lost their first game:  Wisconsin started the season as #10, worked their way to #7, then lost to Michigan State.  They dropped seven spots (all the way to #14), despite losing on the road via a hail mail pass.  Alabama was ranked #2 when they lost to the LSU Tigers at home.  Instead of dropping like the Badgers, they drop two places to #4.

As further proof of this bias, the 2011 Heisman Trophy, awarded to the best college athlete,  attracted two candidates from the SEC in Trent Richardson (Alabama) and Tyrann Mathieu (LSU).  While they did not win the top award -- Robert Griffin III of Baylor took that honor -- some questioned why Mathieu was selected over other candidates like USC's Matt Barkley or Boise State's Kellen Moore.

If you need further proof, Trent Richardson of the SEC finished ahead of the BIG TEN's Monte Ball even though a quick look at the stats of both running backs shows Ball's superiority.

Ball 2,014 yards from scrimmage, Richardson 1,910 yards from scrimmage
Ball 38 touchdowns, Richardson 23 touchdowns
Ball 6.4 yards per carry, Richardson 6.0 yards per carry
Ball scored a touchdown every 7.8 touches, Richardson every 12.6 touches
Ball got 20% of his yards against non-conference, Richardson got 30% of his yards
Ball rushed for 1,759 yards, Richardson 1,583 yards

Plus, Monte Ball had 60 passing yards and a passing touchdown for Wisconsin (with a quarterback rating of 504.4).  Richardson did not even finish in the top 5 for rushing yards of all running backs for 2011.

So why did Richardson finish third in voting and Ball in fourth?  And why did Richardson win the 2011 Doak Walker award for best running back?  One reason:  SEC bias.  If you are the best running back in the best conference, you have to be the best running back in the country.  What a bunch of crap!  Monte Ball has had one of the greatest years as a running back and he gets invited to the Heisman at the last moment.  Richardson was pegged to be a Heisman candidate before the season even began, again showing the east coast's love affair with traditional power teams from east and southeastern conferences.

The media will say that Wisconsin's mammoth offensive line gave Monte Ball an unfair advantage, or that Russell Wilson (as quarterback) meant that defenses couldn't focus just on Ball.  What the hell?  Sounds like Wisconsin football should be rated higher than Alabama's if they have such "unfair" advantages.  This east coast bias will also point out that Wisconsin lost two games, which takes some of the luster off of Ball's accomplishments.  If that's the case, then why did Robert Griffin III win the Heisman award?  His team had a total of three losses this year.

Wisconsin is heading back to the Rose Bowl

My second complaint concerns the college bowl system.  When I checked last, there were 35 bowls this year.  Some of them are so obscure that I had to look twice to see if I read it right.

Take the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (please) for example.  Or the Beef O' Brady's Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fl in which the Thundering Herd of Marshall takes on the mighty Panthers of Florida International University.  (Set the DVR for that one).

How's this for a brief rundown of the lesser known bowls --  San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, MAACO Bowl, Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl, Belk Bowl, Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl, Franklin American Mortgage Mortgage Musci City Bowl, New Era Pinstripe Bowl and Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.  And let's not forget to watch the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl.  I'm pretty knowledgeable about college football, and I've never heard of ANY of those.

Of the 35 bowls played between December 17th and January 9th, I have interest in maybe five.  This year's championship game, between Alabama and LSU isn't even intriguing because the two teams played a few weeks ago, with LSU winning 9-6.  Remember how boring that was?  Sports experts gushed over how outstanding the defense was in that game.  I'd like to think if you're going to gush about something, it should be offense.  Like the 42 - 39 win in the Big Ten Championship game.  Now that was exciting!

There should be a rule against two teams from the same conference playing each other in any bowl game.  Even the national championship game.  Bowls should be for match-ups of two teams that would never play each other during the regular season.  One of the reasons I will watch Oklahoma State and Stanford is to see the matchup between two contrasting teams -- the spread offense of OSU versuses the pro style of Andrew Luck and Coby Fleener.  For the most part, each team dominated their respective conferences which will lead to an interesting match-up.

The same with Oregon and Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.  A decided underdog, Wisconsin will have to find a way to stop the spread, slow down Oregon's quickness and score enough points to make it a close game.  Both bring exciting marquee players to the game, and the spotlight will be on them to perform.  If they do, it will be exciting to watch.

But let's be serious about the lesser bowls, and perhaps the biggest elephant in the college football game room -- lack of a playoff system.  The NCAA needs to find a way to scrap the bowl system for an equitable system that matches up the best teams (winners) of each conference.   That would include the ACC, PAC 12, BIG EAST, BIG TEN, SEC and BIG 12 battling it out, with the best two teams getting a bye the first week.  From there it's winner moves on until you get to the championship game.  It'll guarantee 1) more interest (fill the stadiums that are half empty), 2) more money (television deals in prime time) and 3) better results (there would be no disputing which team is better -- it's decided on the field).

Finally, college football -- contrary to what my friend thinks -- could be exciting and worth watching if teams scheduled tough games in the pre-season.  The poor quality of non-conference foes has made it difficult to watch some of these games.  Despite a Big Ten Conference title, an11-win season and a record-setting offense, the football team drew fewer than 80,000 fans for three of its seven home games.  And it happened twice each in 2009 and 2010.  Too many Woffords and Austin Peays in football have caused fans to be apathetic at games, avoid certain games, or even stop buying season tickets all together.  So while it may help Wisconsin win nine games a year, it isn't doing much to help my friend enjoy the sometimes-exciting game of college football.

It's time to change that.

Night Lights

For a photography class I took in November, we needed to take pictures at night.  Here are a few of the lights on the Mississippi River.

High Anxiety

I have a good friend who called me this weekend (twice) to talk about two big football games -- the Wisconsin/Michigan State BIG TEN championship game in Indianapolis, and the Giants/Packers game in New York.

 

In both instances, he had called to sound alarms about the condition of his heart and the sanity of his mind, as both games literally went down to the last minute of play.  "I had to get out of the house and go to the grocery store," he said, as a way to get away from the anxiety of the game.  Not surprising, I thought.  Paul is quick to switch channels in the second quarter if the game is not going well, only to tune in later to see if things have improved.  And he usually needs something in his hands during the game just for something to do.  Come on, I thought, it's just a game.  


Yeah, right.

Fortunately -- for him, and his blood pressure -- both the Badgers and Packers won.

Why is it that we get so worked up about something that's supposed to be entertaining, enjoyable and exciting?  I swear, the older I get the more difficult it is to watch sometimes.

To be fair, the better we are in football, the harder it is to enjoy.  In other words, our expectations are higher and the stakes are higher if we lose.  I won't even read the paper or watch sports highlights on ESPN until a week later if we lose.

Last winter, during the Packers incredible journey to the Super Bowl, we had a bunch of friends over for the game.  It was during the Chicago Bears game in Chicago, that things got too intense for one of them, who had to go upstairs and read the newspaper.  Anything to take her mind off the game -- the closer we got to winning the game, the more intense and worried she got.  For Peggy, it was the possibility of taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers for a chance to win the Super Bowl for the second time in 15 years.  Even if we were ahead by two touchdowns, I don't know if she'd feel any better.

I have another friend who can't bear to watch a game live.  So Tom will set the recorder, leave the house, and come back later.  If the Packers he'll rewind and watch it, knowing that we won't lose.  Somehow taking all the risk out of a game just doesn't seem like the right thing to do.  But in this case, it's probably the best thing he can do, because he get's so worked up that you don't know what he'll do.  They way I figure it, a walk through Hixon Forest is probably doing his family more good than harm.  It's just so funny to know that he'll do anything to avoid watching it live.

And then there's my brother-in-law, who lives in Chicago.  He gets so stressed out about the game that he can't even watch the game.   It doesn't matter who the Packers are playing, or even what the score is.  He's convinced that if he tunes in to the game that things will go badly.  I can usually expect a phone call after the game that goes something like this --

"So what happened?  When I checked last" -- he's already checked the score on the internet -- "the Packers were up by eight, 35 to 27 with 2 minutes left.  The next thing I know, we've won 38 to 35.  What the hell happened?"  That's actually a sanitized version (maybe his kids were in the room).

It's a lot of fun to call him when we're up by 21 points -- pleading with him to watch the game.  "What can happen?" I say.  "There's no way we can lose this game.  You should turn it on and enjoy it while you can."  But no way.  He's convinced that bad things are going to happen now that I've told him that we're going to win.  Sure enough, I'll hang up the phone and stare in disbelief as the Packers fumble the ball, the other team recovers and scores a touchdown.  On the ensuing kickoff, the other team will recover the ball and start moving again to score a second touchdown.  Maybe he DOES know something, I'll think before the Packers stop the drive and go on to win.

He's also quick to expect bad things will happen before the game is even played.  He'll find something to complain about (like our defense) and automatically assume that it will lead to our downfall.  He loves to assign blame to coaches, whom he routinely fires throughout the game.  "Bielema's the worst coach in the Big Ten -- they should fire his ass right now!"  I think his problem is that he lives in Chicago, where losing has become a way of life.  Now if he was up in Wisconsin....

The Piece' de Resistance' was when a business associate asked him to go to the Bears/Packers NFC Championship game last January.  I loved it!  Not only was he going to have to watch the Packers, but if they actually lost to the Bears, he'd have to endure all the crap that would be hurdled his way by Chicago's finest fans.  Luckily for him, the Packers knocked Jay Cutler out of the game and hung on to win a great conference championship game.

I must admit that even I have suffered from high anxiety while watching Wisconsin sports.  There was a Monday Night Football Viking / Packers game years ago that went down to the wire.  Back in those days, the Vikings were actually good, and they beat the Packers with a field goal in the closing seconds.  I was so stressed out that I went out at  eleven o'clock at night and started raking leaves.  I had so much energy flowing through my body that I couldn't contain it anymore.  I could have run 5 miles or shoveled my way through 12 inches of snow if it had been falling.

 

I mentioned earlier that the Wisconsin Badgers were playing in the inaugural  BIG TEN Championship game in Indianapolis for a chance to go to the Rose Bowl.  Well, as luck would have it, I wound up missing the game because of an event called the Senate Dance, which my wife and I had been invited to weeks before.  At the time, I had no idea that the Badgers would be playing, since they had yet to beat Illinois and Penn State.

At the start of the dance, and prior to the game, I had mentioned to everyone in our group that I didn't want to know anything about the game -- no scores or indications of who was winning.  Or losing...

While sitting at our table eating dinner, the couple next to me had checked the score of the game on their Blackberry.  Honoring my request, they didn't say a word, but the looks on their faces were driving me nuts.  Did those smiles on their faces mean we were winning?  I thought.

"Well, all I'll say," Kim said, "is that a Big Ten team is winning."


Good God!  How can she say that?  What does that mean? I stabbed my steak, cut off a piece of meat and shoved it into my mouth.  Later, I heard a group of doctors sitting at a table behind us checking on the same game, and moaning "Oh no!!"


THAT doesn't sound good!  I can't believe the Badgers can't beat Michigan State!  Not again!  This is driving me nuts, and depressing me,  I thought, trying to put the game out of my mind.  Grabbing my wife, we hit the dance floor and started to Rumba across the floor.  Within minutes my mind was off the game and concentrating on my struggles to do half moons and the Cuban shuffle.

Around 10:30 p.m., Liz and I decided to head home.  On the way, all I could think was the game is over.  I wonder who won?  It HAS to be the Badgers, there's just no way they aren't the better team.  Great quarterback, great running game and a great defense.  I had made sure the radio wasn't tuned into the game before the dance, so there was no way of knowing the score until I walked into the house.

Once we got home, I turned on the TV and discovered the game was STILL going -- with the Badgers leading 42 to 39.  With less than two minutes remaining, I watched in horror as the Badgers punted to the Spartans' Keshawn Martin, who promptly ran around, through and away from every Badger defender before leaping into the end zone for an apparent touchdown.  "Noooooooo!"  I yelled.  This can't be happening!  I just walked into the house and now I see this?  I can't believe it!  Eric is right.  The Badgers are the worst team ever!

Seconds later, with my heart beating madly in my chest, I listened to a voice (a referee) from the TV say, "Personal foul on Number 32.  Roughing the kicker.  Five yard penalty.  Wisconsin ball. Automatic first down!"  What?  Could this be happing?  Oh my God, we did it!  We are going to win the game!

And with that, the Badgers got the ball back and ran out the clock.  Piece of cake.  Nothing to worry about.  I knew it all along. 


Yeah, right.

Intelligence: Missing In Action

My last blog talked about a World Public Opinion poll showing those who watched FOX NEWS were misinformed.

Far be it from me -- even during the holiday season -- to miss an opportunity to show the other side of the argument.  Conservatives aren't the only ones that make mistakes.  Here is a sampling of stupid gaffes made by the smartest president ever, President Obama.  And in true fashion, the mainstream media didn't report most of them.  Surprised?

English Embassy.
President Obama recently said in response to Iran storming the British Embassy in Tehran -- "All of us, I think are deeply disturbed by the crashing of the English Embassy,"  Obama said.  Someone needs to tell the president that there isn't an English Embassy, it's called the British Embassy.  While they're at it, they may also let him know that England forms part of Great Britain which includes Wales and Scotland (and Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom).  There isn't an English Embassy anywhere in the world.

State of Confusion.
While campaigning for President in 2008, Obama said at a rally in Oregon "Over the last 15 months, we've traveled to every corner of the United States.  I've now been in 57 states.  I think I have one left to go."  Huh?  The last time I checked, there were 50 states, plus Washington D.C.  It didn't take long for Obama's staff to make the excuse that he was just tired from the constant campaigning.

What Year Is It?
Earlier this year, President Obama was on a trip to Westminster Abbey in London.  During his stop, he signed the guest book and dated it 24May2008.  The problem was that it was the year 2011.  No explanation was given to cover up this blooper.

Dead on Arrival.
During a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. on February 5, 2010 Obama said, "One such translator was an American of Haitian descent, representative of the extraordinary work that our men and women in uniform do all around the world -- Navy Corpse-Man Christian Brossard." -- mispronouncing "Corpsman" (the "ps" is silent).  In addition, the name was Christopher, not Christian...

Discovers New Language.
During a 2009 speech in Strasbourg, France, President Obama said, "It was also interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate.  There's a lot of -- I don't know what the term is in Austrian, wheeling and dealing."  Someone forgot to tell Obama that "Austrian," as a language, does not exist.  He should have said German.

Land of Confusion.
President Obama apparently forgot where he was during a press conference held on the outskirts of Honolulu, despite being born there.  While answering a question about budget cuts, he said, "When I meet with world leaders, what's striking -- whether it's in Europe or here in Asia -- the kinds of fundamental reforms and changes... that other countries are having to make are so much more significant that what we need to do."  When did Hawaii leave the United States?

And since I'm in the holiday mood, where would we be without Vice-President Joe Biden, who is often referred to as a gaffe machine.  Here are a couple of his quotes:

Biden-ism #1
During an interview with Katie Couric in 2008, Biden said, "When the stock market crashed, Franklin D Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed.  he said, 'Look, here's what happened.'"  Apparently Joe was unaware that FDR wasn't president when the stock market crashed in 1929, and that only experimental TV sets were in use at the time.

Biden-ism #2
"Stand up, Chuck, let 'em see ya."  -- spoken by Biden to Missouri state Senator Chuck Graham, who is in a wheel chair.

Biden-ism #3
"His mom lived in Long Island for ten years or so.  God rest her soul.  And --although, she's -- wait -- your mom's still alive?  Your dad passed.  God bless her soul!"  uttered by Biden in 2010 about the mother of Irish Minister Brian Cowen, who is very much alive.

Now I realize that I'm picking on guys who give a lot of speeches, but it proves my point that if you try hard enough, you're going to make mistakes or say something stupid.  And it wouldn't even bother me if it wasn't for the double standard the left uses when using examples from Bush via Comedy Central and Saturday Night Live!  It's the constant abuse by our media to make the conservative right look at stupid as possible.  And that applies to the elite left who think polls determine intelligence and knowledge.

Give it a break -- an education (as evidenced by Obama and Biden, to name a few) doesn't guarantee anything.  And calling someone stupid only makes you look worse when it applies to both sides of the aisle.