On Graduations and Beyond

Earlier this month, my youngest son graduated from high school and is now planning on attending college this fall.  It is a seminal moment in life -- both as a parent AND as a young adult who is eager to leave the high school scene behind.

 

It has been too many years for me to remember much of my graduation from high school.  It's a terrible thing to lose memories of sitting on a hard folding chair for 2 hours while classmates and teachers talk about the last thing you want to hear:  more school.  I was trying earlier this summer to remember who our class president was, and came up empty.  Fortunately I received an invitation to our 35th class reunion next year, so maybe I'll find out then.

I actually have more memories of graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison -- one of which has me sitting on my Suzuki motorcycle, black gown flowing in the wind, while I hold onto a cowboy hat with one hand, a beer in the other.  Perhaps college had more meaning for me and the end of school (getting a job) signified more than the passage from high school to college.

Regardless, the past month has been spent planning and attending graduation parties, Sean's graduation and his orientation to college.  It has given me time to reflect on a number of things, among them --

Attending a graduation party is a lot more fun than hosting one.  Sitting down with a plate full of good food and a cold beer is just the way to spend an hour or two in early June.  Taking vacation days off to clean the garage, setting up tables and chairs, buying food and drinks and selecting pictures of your graduate's lifetime is not.  It's always rewarding to have the party and see everyone's reaction -- but ask my wife -- it's a lot of work and something I'm glad only comes around once every so many years.


Pulled pork is way over-rated.  Every party we went to (save one) served pulled pork.  The exception was bratwursts and hot dogs.  It got so bad that my wife decided to change our choice of food from pulled pork to beef and chicken tacos.  Is there a book on graduation parties that says you have to serve the same thing?  Trust me when I say that I like barbecue pork and all, but it'll be awhile before you see me eating at Famous Dave's restaurant. 


Where do I put all this food?  One of the hardest things to know is how many people are going to show up?  And those who do show up -- are they going to eat or not?  After filling up at other parties, chances are they won't be eating much this time around.  As a result, we had people showing up (after their own party) with left over food and desserts.  We gave as much away as we could, and still had a lot left over.  I'm still eating potato chips and drinking soda and beer.

"What did they just say?"  There were three class speakers at my son's graduation, all girls.  They were well prepared, looking sharp with their gold cords and maroon gowns, and eager to expound upon the meaning of their time at Central High School.  All three were Summa Cum Laude and well adorned with scholarships, class awards and offers to some of the best colleges around.  Somehow I was expecting to hear them say something worthy of all the accolades, but as soon as they were done, I looked at my wife and thought, "What did they just say?"  At the least, analogies to Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer, Hemingway's In Our Time, or  Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land would have been appropriate.  I honestly think I could have said something more memorable and relatable....

That familiar tune.  Graduation ceremonies are exciting and boring at the same time (after your son/daughter has walked across the stage, you can't wait for it to be over).  After 12 years of elementary, middle and high school, the energy level of the students and their guests is sky high.  The song "Pomp and Circumstance"  manages to evoke a number of emotions, including happiness, relief and triumph.  For me however, it is also tinged with a bit of nostalgia, as graduating seniors move beyond their first days of school, backpacks and parent/teacher conferences.  Did you know that the name of the song comes from a line in Act III of Shakespeare's "Orthello"?  And that there are actually five different "Pomp and Circumstances" marches?

 

Yeah!  I'm done!.  With the end of graduation, comes the relief in knowing that you have made it into the adult world.  While this is exciting, it can also be pretty intimidating and stressful.  So while you have the chance, enjoy an American tradition and get an ice cream cone or pick up a gallon of ice cream.  Few things make you feel like a kid -- with no worries -- like a scoop of Mackinaw Island Fudge in a waffle cone.




You expect me to live here?  When visiting prospective colleges, we also took a tour of the campus, including the dorms.  Inevitably we got the grand tour of the newest, nicest and largest dorm which had room to sleep, study and eat with magnificent views of Lake Michigan and tree-lined boulevards leading to the football stadium.  Reality sinks in on moving day when you try to cram two beds, a couch, a small refrigerator, TV, stereo, computers, 2 desks, 2 dressers and clothing into a 13 X 20 foot living space.  Thank goodness it's a coed dorm where women outnumber the men 2:1!


On your mark, get set, go!  Your son has spent the morning scouring the course catalog, meeting with a freshman adviser and preparing for 15 credit hours spread between lectures and labs.  All that you need is an open spot on Tuesday afternoon at 1:10 for that science lab.  Unfortunately when you get to class registration, you are told that the class just filled up and the only other Biology 207 lab is in the middle of your Macro Economics 110 class on Wednesday.  What do you do?  Back to the drawing board (and your adviser).

As I mentioned earlier, I don't remember much about my high school graduation or my first year of college.  I'm not sure if it's a coping mechanism that was implanted years ago to ease the pain or if it's something less sinister.  But I've always felt like one of the biggest joys of having children is being able to feel like a kid again.  Watching Disney's "The Little Mermaid," coaching baseball, building a medieval fort using pop-sickle sticks, and helping with math problems are things I'll always cherish doing with my two sons.

I can now add another graduation and college song to that list.


Eau Claire college dear, 
Hail to thee our Alma Mater.
Strong through every year,
carry high the Blue and Gold!
U – Rah – Rah
Aim for excellence.
Give the best that you have in you.
Go Blugolds, fight to win, for fame and victory!
B – L – U – G – O – L – D – S, BLUGOLDS!

Great Music and Movies but Stupid Politics

I can remember the first time I heard my mother-in-law say, "I won't go to any movie with Barbara Streisand because she's a liberal."

At the time I thought, that's stupid because she's been in some terrific movies, like "Funny Girl" and "The Way We Were."  Her singing was even better, with her "A Christmas Album" one of my holiday favorites over the years.   She is one of a few entertainers who has won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony award.  I really can't think of someone with a better singing voice, especially in light of the musical crap we have on the radio today.

But a funny thing happened through the years.  When she wasn't acting or singing, she was actively politicking for the environment and various Democrats, including Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Barrack Obama.  With less singing and more politics, I grew more and more tired of her critical attacks on things I hold true.

Hollywood -- What Are They Smoking?

Streisand once said, "The Democrats have always been the party of working people and minorities.  I've always identified with the minorities."

Seriously?  Someone who is worth between $300-$600 million can identify with a migrant worker making between $6 - $15 dollars an hour?  A few years ago, she was quick to sue a photographer for alleged violation of privacy over a photo of her bluff-top Malibu estate (worth about $15 million).  What are the odds that she would welcome illegal aliens through her front gates so she can relate to them better?

The problem with people like Streisand is that they think they are better than the rest of us when it comes to the economy, environment and world peace.  And smarter, more compassionate and with a better understanding of how the rest of the world acts (France comes to mind).  Despite their hypocritical actions (massive stage shows requiring 50 gas guzzling semi trucks to transport everything needed) and lifestyles (drugs, private jets and numerous homes), they say "Do as I say, not as I do."

Will Ferrell, the not so funny-man from "Saturday Night Live!" was recently involved in a PSA video that supported the passage of Obamacare by making fun of big health insurance companies who were reaping huge profits from existing health insurance premiums and coverage. Television actors and actresses from "Scrubs," "Mad Men," and "Reno 911!" tried to make fun of insurance executives who were opposed to President Obama's socialistic healthcare grab.  Instead of being funny, the video is like so many of these celebrity group think PSAs --  boring, overly long and completely wrong on the issue.  The irony is that actors and musicians are some of the most over paid people in the world.  Will Ferrell,  has absolutely NO RIGHT to complain about insurance executive salaries when he gets paid $20 million dollars each for cellulite trash like "Bewitched" and "Talladega Nights."

What was the harm?

Another fine example is the rush to defend movie director Roman Polanski, who was finally arrested on charges of drugging and raping a 13-year-old child after 32 years in exile.  The tragedy isn't just in the crime, but in Hollywood's defense of this pedophile.   Here is what Polanski said after committing the crime and fleeing the country:  "If I had killed somebody, it wouldn't have had so much appeal to the press, you see?  But f---ing you see, and the young girls.  Judges want to f-- young girls, juries want to f--- young girls, everyone want to f--- young girls!"  Pretty disgusting huh?

So what do people like Whoopi Goldberg, Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese do?  Sign their names to a petition demanding that Polanski be freed.  Whoopi Goldberg went so far as to say "I know it wasn't rape-rape.  It was something else but I don't believe it was rape-rape.  He went to jail and when they let him out he was like 'You know what, this guy's going to give me a hundred years in jail.  I'm not staying,' so that's why he left."  What comedic rock did she crawl out form under?  There is no defense from the left for this kind of self-important crap. They feel that they are above the law and can judge their own actions for what they are.

Hollywood is home to another political tourist who tells us how to live our lives -- Sean Penn.  I don't know if there is another actor who is so polar opposite to everything good in America.  Fortunately, it helps to picture him as Jeff Spicoli -- the surfing, pot smoking Valley Guy loser in "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" -- and completely dismiss everything coming out of his mouth.

Penn prides himself as a peace activist, having criticized President Bush for his involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He is a staunch supporter of President Obama, even though the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have spread into Libya and beyond.  Of particular embarrassment to this country are his visits with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a dictator and socialist who is sympathetic to Libya's murderous Muammar Ghadafi and Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.  Penn, who espouses free speech (his free speech) should ask Chavez about Venezuela's crack down on private property, free speech and civil rights.

What does it say about these publicity whores who are so quick to let the press know about the thousands donated or their time spent adopting poor children from Africa?  Wouldn't it be so much better if Tim Robbins, Madonna, Susan Sarandon and Angelina Jolie just donated their time and money without letting Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Tonight know about it?  A number of big names (usually in business) are involved in charity events that go unreported, yet their efforts raise millions for health issues, education and other charities.  Being quiet about it doesn't make it less effective or meaningful.

Television networks have an orgasm when celebrities go on air to provide their opinions on world dictators (why can't we be more like Chavez and Castro), natural disasters (Katrina) and endangered animals cute enough to get their attention (have you seen the Red Panda). Who was the last rock star to go on Good Morning America complaining about this administration's destruction of American jobs?

We know what Willie's smoking

One final example of musicians and actors acting stupid are benefit concerts.  Every year it seems like we have a natural disaster or disenfranchised group needing money.  Ever since Woodstock, I think people have been looking for a reason to listen to some good music while getting stoned and drunk.  Living in Wisconsin, you would think I'd be more sympathetic to farmers, but I'm not.  Farm Aid, which was started in 1985 by John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson to raise money for farming families, recently celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary.

Organizers of these concerts, claim success in drawing attention to AIDS, flood victims and other human right issues.  While that may be the case, I can't help think their motive is to cut a record that promotes their self indulgent music, record companies and organizations.  Some of the more notable benefit events include The Concert for Bangladesh (1971), The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979), The No Nukes concerts (1979), Live Aid (1985), Self Aid (1986), Conspiracy of Hope Tour (1986), Human Rights Now (1988), Live Earth (2007) and Billion Hands Concert (2008).  Can you tell me who benefited the most-- the musicians or the cause?

I leave you with the following quote from a CNN interview with Matthew Bodine, an actor who has been in a few good movies.  Here's what he had to say about Osama Bin Laden before a group of our elite Seals put a bullet in his head (thank God), "Imagine if someone were to really sit down with Osama Bin Laden and say, "Listen, man, what is it that you're so angry at me about that you're willing to have people strap bombs to themselves, or get inside of airplanes and fly them into buildings?"  That would be the miracle if we can get, sit down and talk to our enemies and have a fine way for them to hear us."

'Nuff said.

Labor Pains: A Conflict of Interest

I've never been a fan of unions.

Which would seem to put me at odds with a lot of people:  actors, airline pilots, contractors, engineers, hotel employees,  government, restaurant workers, musicians, nurses, teachers, bus and taxi drivers, plumbers, electricians and the television industry -- to name a few.

Fortunately, I don't know too many successful actors, musicians or television stars.  But it can be a problem when I sit down for parent/teacher conferences or have a meal with my brother, who is the transit manager for the city of La Crosse.

My first job out of college was with the Department of Natural Resources, which put me into the ranks of Wisconsin's public employee union.  Fortunately, it was a temporary job and six months later I was breathing in the freedom of a private industry job.  Six months isn't enough time to get familiar with a job, much less any of the complexities of being a part of the State of Wisconsin employee collective.

But I do remember feeling like it didn't really matter what I did at my job -- how well, how quickly, or how much -- I had the protection of being one of many working effortlessly for the DNR.


Today,  unions (public and private) are making news.  Big news.  And not the kind they want.  Despite their stranglehold in education, government and manufacturing, unions make up less than 11% of today's workforce, and are quickly becoming less relevant than at anytime in the last 60 years.  After peaking in 1970, the private sector union membership has fallen steadily, led by dramatic losses in the automotive and manufacturing industry.  Some of it is just a numbers game, with more and more manufacturing going overseas -- where unions have less influence.  But there's more to it than just a shift of jobs out of this country.

That's because unions are now losing approval in states that can no longer tolerate intrusive union rules, the threat of costly work stoppages, lawsuits and worker benefits that are far above average.  Unions are focused on their own self-preservation and wealth, not their workers and -- in more and more cases -- not taxpayers with nothing left to give. This conflict of interest -- putting union interests before state budgets or corporate profits-- has always been there, but the recent U.S. economic downturn has lifted the veil on recent state employee union contracts and forced-union agreements.

I site the followiing -

1)  States like Wisconsin (with a Republican governor and majorities in both state houses) can no longer pay for the exorbitant  health and pension benefits that have been a key component of public employee jobs.   The rising cost of providing excellent health care, while requiring little payment from employees, has put unsustainable pressure on budgets.  With no more money coming from Washington, states are having to cut benefits or default.  Wisconsin has chosen to remove collective bargaining from contract negotiations to balance their budget, but the fierce backlash from unions has put this strategy in doubt.

The battle has been bloody, as challenges to the State Supreme Court and recall elections of nine key senators move toward a mid-summer conclusion.  In my hometown of La Crosse, signs for a replacement candidate (Schilling) have sprung up early and often.  Republicans, hoping to force recall candidates to spend union money in primary contest, have encouraged fake Democrat candidates to run in opposition.  Ads, paid for by unions, are pushing bilge about helping working families and keeping worker rights, but the ads ignore the immediate need to balance the state budget.  To his credit, Governor Walker has stuck to his guns and is pushing his conservative agenda in Madison.

Can the government tell Boeing where it can operate?

Indiana, Ohio and other states are following Wisconsin's lead by challenging long-standing agreements with their own state employees.

2)  In the private sector, Boeing Company has been fighting a complaint from the National Labor relations Board (NLRB) claiming Boeing illegally punished its Machinists union by building an assembly line for its 787 Dreamliner jet in South Carolina, instead of Washington state.  The poison apple was that the new plant in South Carolina was non-union, thereby violating its forced-union agreement.

This particular case is a big deal in the battle between forced-union states and right-to-work states.  (To explain the difference, states that have a right to work law provide employees the right to decide for themselves whether or not to join a union or financially support a union.)  Are labor unions, with the help of our government (NLRB), going to be able to tell business (and its employees) where it can and cannot operate a plant within the U.S.?

Today there are 22 right-to-work states and 28 union-shop states.  Over the past 10 years, the right-to-work states (such as Texas, Georgia and Tennessee) have grown faster in nearly every economic respect than their union-shop counterparts (like New York, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania).  See the chart below.


So are unions an endangered species?  If they are, it's more like the polar bear, than the Alabama beach mouse because unions are fighting mad.  For example --

. "Card Check" remains a serious threat.  As part of the "Employee Free Choice Act" unions have been pushing for Congress to change the rules for how workers can organize.  If ever there was a chance for this law to pass, it was during the 111th Congress, with Democrats holding super majorities in the House and Senate.  But it did not pass.  And now that Republicans have reclaimed the House, AFL-CIO, SEIU and the Change to Win Coalition are pushing harder than ever to find the votes.

. Big labor unions, fearing loss of power, political influence and money, are spending millions on elections and encouraging aggressive protests throughout the country.   As Mr. Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, put it recently to a crowd of protesters in Madison, WI:   "This is not just about union rights, it's about worker's rights, it's about the middle class.  This has galvanized the people who were sitting on the sidelines and not involved in politics.  They realize now that the attack is on me."  He continued, "We cannot stop this fight.  We have to have sustainability; we have to make our voices heard.  Our resolve has to be stronger, out pain has to run deeper, our passion has to last longer."

. The Boeing case is showing the extent unions will go to to prevent businesses from building union-free plants.    The National Labor Relations Board, a powerful force in Washington, is preparing for a lengthy and politically charged legal battle which will make life difficult for Boeing.  As is so often the case, lawyers can drag litigation on for years adding millions of dollars to the cost.  The judge on the case, Judge Anderson, stressed at a recent hearing that if the battle goes all the way to the Supreme Court, "I'll be retired or dead."

. Washington's remains in the pocket of big labor, as was shown with the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler to the tune of over $24 billion taxpayer dollars.

Without a doubt, unions are suffering labor pains.  The bad economy is laying bare their heavy-handed tactics and intimidations.  The real pain, however, remains with the American worker.  Despite their 60's style rhetoric, the disconnect between unions and most employees remains bigger than ever.

Let's hope that teachers and government workers -- without the protective illusion of collective bargaining -- will begin to see the benefits of individual effort.  Perhaps, greater take-home pay (no union dues) and being rewarded for hard work will be the silver bullet that ends union influence in states throughout the country.

Predict THIS!!

I was looking through the Wall Street Journal today and saw these headlines:

"U.S. Manufacturing Growth Slows Dramatically", "Housing Imperils Recovery" and "Private Sector Added Few Jobs in May".

All of these developments seemed to catch the economic experts off guard, who were expecting improved job growth and housing starts.  One week the economists are expecting a turn around for 2011, the next week a double dip recession.

And where were the financial experts when the devastating stock market crash of 1929 hit banks and businesses?  Or the Black Friday Crash of 1987 when the market lost more than 22% in one single day?  How many of us were ready for the latest stock market decline beginning in 2008?

How can these people win Noble prizes for economics? My basic predictions-- based on talking to a few clients, basketball junkies and family -- come closer to the truth than these guys.  I'm convinced economists (preferably liberal) are idiots, trust them at your own risk.

Hardly a week passes when some "expert" predicts something that is later proved false.

A few weeks ago, Family Radio Network founder, Harold Camping, was predicting the end of the world. The "rapture," as it was known, was scheduled for May 21, 2011, would signal the day when Christ would come back to earth to take his believers to heaven.  A 14-year-old Russian teenager committed suicide when she heard the prediction, because she didn't want to be one of those left behind to suffer on earth.  Others quit their jobs and sold possessions in anticipation of not needing them anymore.

When it didn't happen, Mr. Camping laughingly said, "I miscalculated the date, it should have been October 21st."  How convenient for someone who has been wrong before.  His miscalculation of the impending rapture hasn't stopped new followers from saying, "when I heard he had the wrong day, I went out and thanked the Lord for another beautiful day." OOOOOOkay!

Speaking of wiping egg off your face, wasn't global warming supposed to melt the polar ice cap and raise sea levels over 25 feet and flood coastal cities?  How about David Viner, a researcher at the University of East Anglia in the UK,  who claimed that within a few years children "wouldn't know what snow was" and that "snowfall would be a very rare and exciting event."

In Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," he confidently stated that "within the decade, there will be no more snows of Kilimanjaro" due to warming temperatures.   Global warming believers fail to acknowledge that the cap has been shrinking since 1912 long before greenhouse gas emissions started to rise.  To date, the famed snow cap -- a poster child of global warming --  remains a fixture on the mountaintop.

Why are people so eager to predict things, and why are we so quick to buy into their predictions?

The answer is one or all of the following:  money, power and/or politics.  The people making these predictions are typically trying to change behaviors (driving a car), sway voters to accept legislation (giving up our freedoms) or organizations in need of money to keep their jobs and continue their lies.  For me, the reasons are easier to understand than the willingness of people to believe them.  Common sense should eliminate 90% of the outrageous claims being made, but there persists a willingness to believe the people telling us these fabrications.

So there must be a desire by a lot of people who want to accept responsibility for their own bad behavior and to find redemption.  A asinine example of this are carbon credits which supposedly offset the global warming activities of big business and individuals.  The Sierra Club, Green Peace and the Environmental Defense Fund are some of the biggest hypocrites when it comes to telling us to give up something and then doing the very thing they tell us to stop (buying credits -- then flying everywhere in private jets or driving SUVs).  Their arrogance is unbearable.

The remaining ten percent must believe these predictions because they are simple-minded people, or lack the confidence in American enterprise to create the next Apple or Apollo spacecraft.  My suspicions are that you could track the people that voted for Obama and find them on the same list.  Or just look in his Administration.  I have more sympathy for them, but not much.

For fun, here are a few predictions from the past:

"It will be years -- not in my lifetime -- before a woman becomes Prime Minister,"  Margaret Thatcher, October 26, 1969.

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers," Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

"That virus -- HIV -- is a pussycat," Dr. Peter Duesberg, U.C. Berkeley, 1988.

"A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth's atmosphere,"  New York Times, 1936.

"The singer (Mick Jagger) will have to go.  The BBC won't like him,"  first Rolling Stones' manager, Eric Easton, to his partner after watching them perform.

"Rail travel at high speed will not be possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia," Dr. David Larder, (1793-1859).

"There will never be a bigger plane built," a Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247.

"640K ought to be enough for anyone." Bill gates, founder of Microsoft, in 1981.

                                                 *           *           *

My prediction for the Super Bowl?  Packers

Bar Time For Big Spenders

Having a good time yet?

There is a political cartoon that shows Republicans and Democrats sitting at a tavern celebrating and toasting each other for working hard on this year's bloated Federal budget.  The celebratory mood is in stark contrast to a taxpayer who stands outside the Big Spender's Tavern with empty pockets and growing impatience.

As I've mentioned in earlier posts, the United States is currently running a Federal deficit of $14.3 trillion dollars. Just what does that mean?  In simple terms, it means that we owe a lot of money to creditors (individuals, businesses, governments and other organizations) who own U.S. government treasuries.  We are in this predicament because we have spent more than we take in.  And since we continue spending more,  selling more treasury bonds and increasing the deficit even further.  It's a never-ending cycle that feeds on itself.

This is important because Congress is about to debate raising the country's debt limit again (allowing us to borrow more).

Big Spenders

As you would expect, the political party currently in the White House (led by President Obama) will be voting to raise the limit, while Republicans will likely fight against it.  Not ironically, when Bush was in the White House, Republicans voted for raising it, and the Democrats against it -- with Senator Obama calling it a "failure of leadership."

In an early indication of the fight looming, House Speaker John Boehner said "It's true that allowing America to default would be irresponsible.  But it would be more irresponsible to raise the debt ceiling without simultaneously taking dramatic steps to reduce spending and reform the budget process."  The Speaker added, "Without significant spending cuts and reforms to reduce our debt, there will be no debt limit increase.  And the cuts should be greater than the accompanying increase in debt authority the President is given."

In simple terms, the Speaker is saying that he wants cuts in spending equal to the increase in the debt limit.  Is this even remotely feasible for the GOP?  They struggled mightily to pass a simple cut of $38 million a few weeks ago.  If the debt limit is raised $2 trillion dollars as Obama has asked, how are they possibly going to find the cojones to cut $2 trillion?

The response to Boehner's speech was predictable:  "Economic Armageddon!" as stated by the Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, allies on Wall Street and the mainstream media.  And Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said, "... failure by Congress to raise the debt ceiling is a risky approach that could result in an increase in interest rates that would worsen the nation's economy.  The worst outcome" he added, "would be that the nation's financial system becomes destabilized again."

So, like it has for the past five decades of debt raising, (the debt ceiling has been raised 78 times since 1960) one political party is preaching fiscal responsibility and the other is predicting catastrophic economic consequences.  When are these people going to stop putting their own re-election first and do something about Washington's out of control spending?

First off, this much I know.  Not raising the debt ceiling wouldn't necessarily lead to defaulting on U.S. obligations.  It would require Washington to use the money it's getting to pay toward that debt, but by itself wouldn't lead to defaulting on those loans.  The difficulty would be in paying for other things that are currently on the docket -- like defense, social programs and payrolls.

My hope is that a compromise (I know an ugly word these days) will be reached where Republicans force through significant spending cuts and raise the debt ceiling, but only to pay for existing obligations.  It would be like paying off debt before adding to it --no new furniture until the kitchen appliances are paid for.

Our U.S. Constitution (the 14th Amendment) prohibits us from defaulting on our country's financial obligations.  In particular, it must continue to make payments, interest and principal to countries like China and other holders of U. S. treasury bonds.  But this requirement doesn't mean we need to add new debt, and that's where necessary spending cuts could be made.

It is too early to say if Boehner and the House Republicans will be able to muster the courage to cut the $2 trillion mentioned earlier -- alright, it's not going to happen -- but I'd be happy with a smaller amount that could be reviewed periodically.  At least through the next year and a half until the 2012 elections are in the books, putting pressure on President Obama to stop his "change you can all believe in."  It would also remind the American people -- 60% who oppose raising the debt ceiling -- to demand more spending control from whoever wins the White House, Senate and House of Representatives.

It was recently announced by the government that Social Security and Medicare are running out of money sooner than the government had projected (shocking!).  When was the last time they were ever correct about anything?  Unemployment numbers?  Jobs?  Economy?

Medicare won't have enough money to pay full benefits starting in 2024, five years earlier than last year's estimate.  Social Security's cash to pay full benefits will run short in 2036, a year sooner than the 2010 projection.  Why not tie raising the debt ceiling to changes in both programs, forcing change to these entitlement programs that have been "off limits" for so many years?

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, Republican from Wisconsin, has proposed serious budget cuts and changes to the way Washington spends our money.  The response from Democrats, with help from the liberal mainstream media, has been to mock, denigrate and dismiss such proposals as a budget "that rips apart the safety net" for the poor and elderly.  Their answer?  Raise taxes, a non-issue with Republicans.  The longer we wait to address this elephant in the room -- entitlement programs, the more painful it is going to be for us, our children and their children.

A great president, Thomas Jefferson, once said, "no generation can contract debts greater than may be paid in the course of its own existence."  Let's hope that future presidents (and enough in Congress) feel the same way.

Always There

I was ten years old when my appendix needed to be removed.

I am always able to remember the day we landed on the moon because I was in the hospital for surgery when Neil Armstrong climbed down the Apollo Lunar Module's ladder and took "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."  The date was July 20, 1969.

I am also able to remember how scared I was to be spending time in the hospital, alone in an uncomfortable bed, connected to strange-looking medical equipment that kept beeping and clicking throughout the night.  I'm not too proud to admit that I cried for my mother and wanted desperately to go home.  My combination of emotions proved too much for the hospital's night nurse who stuck her head into the darkened room and said to me in no uncertain terms "THAT'S ENOUGH!"  Needless to say, I stopped my crying and feel asleep.

Sometimes you need to be held -- and other times told to get a hold of yourself.


The week of May 6 through May 12 is National Nurses Week, when those who are blessed with such memories can give thanks to the men and women who provide compassion, respect and care in healthcare settings.  Whether it's the birth of a new baby, battlefield triage or end-of-life hospice care, nurses are a critical component to providing the care we need most in times of need.

 

Every nurse takes a Hippocratic oath of sorts called the Florence Nightingale Pledge as a token of esteem for the founder of modern nursing.  It reads,

"I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully.  I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.  I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.  With loyalty, will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care."

As the husband of a nurse, I can say that after more than 25 years, my wife still takes those words to heart.  While nursing has changed over the years (the white caps, capes and skirts have been replaced by multi-colored scrubs), the philosophy of patient care (using eyes, mind and intuition) hasn't.  Modern technology has made it easier to measure vital signs, record information efficiently, and to administer medications.   It has not however, replaced the need for nurses to perform diagnostics that cannot be managed by a computer or machine.

The word nursing derives its meaning from the Latin word nutricius which means nourishing.  Whether it is the mother of a newborn child needing instructions on how to nurse, or an older patient needing someone to talk to about missing his deceased wife -- nursing tends to matters of the heart.  Our fears, our sorrows and our physical limitations require special attention, and it is often given by nurses.

It's fitting that on the weekend we honor mothers for all they do for their families, we also honor nurses who serve a similar position in clinics, hospitals, schools and the home.  In recent years, nurses have moved beyond simply "following doctor's orders" to using advanced degrees for management positions at health care facilities and universities.  Today, nursing includes advanced practice nursing -- nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners,  nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists.

It's been said that nursing is not a job, but a calling.  My wife seemed to know what she wanted to do much earlier in life than I did.  That's not to say that she's had it easy.  Early in our marriage, I would spend parts of Christmas and Thanksgiving at the hospital since she had the holiday shift.  Working weekends and nights was hard on raising our two boys and at times on our marriage.  But never to the point where I wasn't glad that she was a nurse.

My healing skills go as far as some soap and hot water, or an occasional band aid for cuts and scraps.  Once, when our youngest boy needed stitches for a deep cut to his finger, I was so nervous that I drove to the wrong clinic before realizing my mistake.  Cool under pressure?  Not me.

It's nice to know that if anything should happen to me or our boys, she will be there to help us through it.  Whether its a skinned knee, a persistent fever, fainting spell or something more serious like an appendix, she knows what to do.   She's always there when needed.

I, for one, am glad.

Your Majesty, King Barack

I can't help thinking about the Royal Wedding of Prince William and  Kate Middleton -- maybe it has something to do with the non-stop coverage on every channel from FOX, CBS, ABC and NBC, as well as a few mentions on ESPN and  PBS.

I've also been thinking about the relationship that exists between the Monarchy of the United Kingdom and the general public (commoners) who overwhelmingly support them in their elevated role. Legislative, executive and judicial powers are given to other parties, but the Queen of England and her lawful successors are given the "Royal Prerogative" to regulate civil service, declare war, make peace, direct actions of the military and negotiate international agreements and alliances.  Great Britain's Parliament, however, can override any power the Monarch holds by passing legislation.

It's a relationship (however symbolic) that I can't fully understand, because our first president, George Washington, made it clear he did not want to be king.  He believed the United States would be a stronger Republic if led by its free and independent citizens.  It was a controversial position taken by our commander in chief, who resisted the masses and military might who deeply desired a sovereign ruler.

Our First President

Over the years, his way of thinking has been diminished by the power elite in Washington and a welfare state needing more and more assistance (tax payer money).

George Washington said in his first inaugural address in New York City:  "The magnitude and difficulty of the trust to which the voice of my country called me... could overwhelm with despondence one who... ought to be peculiarly conscious of his own deficiencies."

His modesty and abhorrence of power set a standard for American presidents that lasted for more than 150 years.

We need government's help

The fierce independence and self-reliance that George Washington envisioned for the United States eventually succumbed to the political scheming of powerful leaders who took advantage of an economically-weakened American populace.

With the "Great Depression" of the 1930's and presidency of Franklin D Roosevelt, the United States was introduced to our first organized system of welfare, joining the ranks of Germany, Great Britain, and the rest of Europe.  Roosevelt's power grab led to The New Deal, which meant a drastically new and intrusive role for government.

"I pledge you," he said at the 1932 Democratic National Convention, "and I pledge myself to a new deal for the American people."  Roosevelt and his "brain trust" of political advisers -- arrogant and opportunistic -- convinced millions of U.S. citizens that he was their savior in their time of need, or as the New York Times editorialized on June 18, 1933, "the heaven-sent man of the hour."

President Roosevelt

In truth, President Roosevelt was nothing more than an opportunistic politician who succeeded in revolutionizing the institutions of American political and economic life -- and as a result, diminished our economic and individual liberties.

In the 1950's President Lyndon B Johnson's desire to create the Great Society took the New Deal policies to even greater heights through public broadcasting, Medicare, Medicaid and federal education spending.  The power and arrogance that Johnson seized was made possible by the assassination of President Kennedy, who had had his own initiatives known as the New Frontier.

President Johnson took advantage of Kennedy's assassination and the idealistic 1960's to push his utopian views on poverty and discrimination.  Instead of ending "the war on poverty" Johnson led the country into further dependency and political/racial/military unrest.

The Great Society's programs expanded further under Presidents Nixon and Ford.  With President's Bush Clinton, and now Obama, welfare has continued its spread into the lives of children, seniors and even working class citizens.

While the goals of these social programs was originally honorable -- ending poverty and racial injustice -- the result has been much less:  a loss of  freedom and a growing dependency on our country's leaders to provide everything from food, childcare and healthcare.

The New Deal

The Man Who Would Be King

As Barack Obama ascended to the presidency in 2008, our country was once again reeling from the aftermath of a severe recession.  Once again, America mistakenly looked to Washington and its political royalty to find salvation.

Obama's historic victory caused some people to view him as a messiah, as this quote from Rep Jesse Jackson Jr shows:  "I cried all night.  I'm going to be crying for the next four years.  What Barack Obama has accomplished is the single most extraordinary event that has occurred in the 232 years of the nation's political history... The event itself is so extraordinary, that another chapter should be added to the Bible to chronicle its significance."

And with this view firmly entrenched, Obama has proceeded to launch one of the greatest assaults to our freedoms in modern times:  passing Obamacare despite the objections of the American people and lower courts who have called the bill unconstitutional, attempting to change the Second Amendment (gun control), and bypassing Congress to name czar positions overseeing healthcare, climate change, the auto industry and urban affairs.  President Obama has also passed two massive economic stimulus programs that are bankrupting our economy.   And let's not forget how quickly he nationalized auto companies, financial institutions and banks.

The results?  A country with over $14 trillion of debt, over 9% unemployment, one in seven on food stamps, a three year low for the dollar, gasoline prices over $4 per gallon, and more than 50% of our population receiving some type of income from the government.

Based on his first two years in office, I'm convinced our Lord and Majesty, King Barack would be at home in Persia, Alexander's Greek Empire, Rome, Egypt, the Inca and Maya empires, and the Soviet Union.  They were all pyramid-building empires made up of welfare-like programs commanded from the top.

Let's hope that with the election of last fall's conservative agenda, America sees the error of their ways.  In less than one-hundred years, we have seen the rise of government that would shock our founding fathers to the core.  Unless we are willing to stop our dependency on government welfare -- and restore the presidency to the time of George Washington -- the United States of America is doomed to go the way of prior empires.

God save the president.

The Hollow Men

Say what you will about Donald Trump as a candidate for president, but you must admit that he speaks his mind.  Unlike other candidates, he isn't afraid to give you his opinion and get something done.

If only all politicians could be so endowed.

President Obama was recently overheard on an open microphone taunting Republicans by saying "You want to repeal healthcare?  Go at it.  We'll have that debate.  You're not going to do that by nickel-and-diming me in the budget.  You think we're stupid?"

Reporters also heard him privately rip Wisconsin's very own Paul Ryan, the GOP's Budget Committee chairman who had proposed cutting federal spending.  "Paul Ryan says his priority is to make sure he's just being America's accountant, "Obama said.  "This is the same guy that voted for two wars that were unpaid for, voted for the Bush tax cuts that were unpaid for, voted for the prescription drug bill that cost as much as my healthcare bill, but wasn't paid for.... So he's not on the level."

Lincoln
A man of action

Every so often you get a chance to hear what these politicians really think about each other -- and it's no surprise that they can't get anything done.

The lovable persona that is staged on television (shaking hands and holding babies while the U.S. flag flies in the background) or on Sunday morning talk shows (my good friend, Senator McCain) is one of a concerned politician who is "working hard" for the American people.

Unfortunately, that translates into the American voter, since so many politicians are mostly concerned about being re-elected.  So concerned that Democrats (and for the most part Republicans) will 1) do nothing, 2) say nothing and 3) propose nothing that gives the slightest hint of substance.

Isn't it time we get more out of these fraudulent wind bags?

Take our country's national debt -- estimated at 14.2 trillion.  President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Reid and Speaker of the House Boehner made daily headlines trying to avoid a government shutdown over the federal budget.  Each participant let it be known that they had a moral responsibility to reign in out-of-control spending while maintaining critical programs needed by the elderly, disabled and children.

In reality, they were fighting for their constituents who demanded that no action be taken on Planned Parenthood and new Obamacare spending (Democrats), raising taxes (Republicans) and almost anything to do with Social Security and Medicare.  Bottom line, with 2011 spending at $3.87 trillion, our fearless representatives are having orgasms over a measly $28 billion in cuts.  Sounds like business as usual in Washington, where every year since 1969 politicians have spent more than they have taken in.

I'm beginning to think every politician in Washington is nothing but an empty suit filled with nausea-inducing sound bites -- like this one from Mr. Boehner, "The biggest accomplishment of the first 100 days is that the spending debate ...  has turned 180 degrees."  How about that?  It's now a major victory to say that "talk" has changed in Washington.  All politicians DO is talk - how is that an accomplishment?

Truth be told, this country is in big trouble unless we can get politicians to do MORE than talk.

Another example of the "meaningless babble" we get from Washington has to do with the high cost of gasoline.  Everyone is feeling pain at the pumps these days -- from commuters and truckers to anyone heating their homes or buying groceries.  Since 2008, the price of a gallon of gasoline has increased from $1.84 to almost $4.00 in most parts of the county.

Naturally this ties in nicely with the country's overall energy strategy, which since the mid-1970's has produced no new oil refineries, and no new nuclear power plants since Three Mile Island in 1970.  Is doing nothing really a strategy, or is it just cowardice on the part of these politicians to avoid taking a stand against environmentalists who would like to see America riding bicycles and heating their homes with ear wax?

So let's play the blame game -- something else politicians are good at.

Who's responsible?  Local and national media would have you believe one of the following:  1) Obama, whose restrictions on drilling for new oil in the United States means we can't even take advantage of our own resources; 2) Congressional Republicans who refuse to support alternative fuels which would reduce our dependency on foreign oil; 3) market speculators who have bid up the price of oil in order to make a killing; 4) freedom fighters in the Middle East and North Africa who have destabilized major oil producing areas; and 5) supply and demand with the recovering economy and recovering demand.

President Obama -- completing the final trifecta of all good politicians -- calls for an investigation into the high price of oil, thinking this will somehow provide an answer (but not lower prices since he has stated numerous times that he wants higher oil costs to support his alternative energy agenda).  Investigations are like catnip to politicians who would rather discuss the problem, rather than a solution.  Remember the arrogant and condescending Senate hearings into auto companies in 2008, which included testimony from the CEOs of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors?  What ever came from that charade?  Government Motors and electric cars?

Nonetheless, not to be outdone, the following congressional committees are gearing up to investigate the situation:

May 8th:  House Energy and Commerce Committee
May 9th:  House Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming
May 10th:  House Science and Technology Committee
May 15th: Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee
May 16: House Judiciary Committee
May 22nd:  House Oversight Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Can you believe we actually have that many committees?  And that's just energy.

Imagine the political theatre that will follow when politicians -- on television, of course-- tell oil executives to stop price gouging (oh, no!) while taxing those profits to expand wind and solar energy.   And then pass the cost for their political ineptitude onto us through even higher gas prices.

Politicians will continue to play the part of hollow men as long as we allow them to play it.  It's time we put some people with substance in Washington to take care of business.

On the Wings of Mercury

I must be dreaming.


The Suzuki motorcycle appears out of the darkness, racing past indistinguishable shapes and strangely colored lights.  As I look out the window of the car I am riding in, I see that the driver of the motorcycle isn't wearing a helmet, his head bobbing slightly with the rushing air.  Within seconds, I can see that his eyes are closed and his breathing measured as if in a deep sleep.  Miraculously, the motorcycle stays true, picking up speed as if shot from a cannon -- when suddenly a car materializes in the lane before him.  I look again and see that the cycle driver's eyes are still shut and now I can hear the driver snoring despite the rushing wind coming from my open window.


"Wake up!"  I shout at the cycle, as the car ahead appears closer.  As if distracted, the driver's head turns toward me, with eyes still shut.   I shout again, "Wake up!  Wake up!"


    


Suddenly, I open my eyes and find the alarm clock flashing 5:59 AM.  Within seconds the alarm goes off, reminding me that it's time to get out of bed and continue my training for a 5K run, which is part of the La Crosse Fitness Festival being held later this month.

 

As I slide my legs from bed, I rub my face and ask myself why I am doing this.  I am not a runner -- and to prove that point, my feet send a sharp jolt up to my knees before it retreats to a dull ache by the time it reaches my lower back.  At my current age of fifty-two, my dad was already suffering from his battle with Parkinson's Disease, so I am not able to draw on any rational memory of him getting up to run or ride a bike.  His early morning departures had more to do with fishing and hunting, a pastime I didn't share with my brother and sister.  I was always interested in basketball, football and maybe tennis, although the later was a pathetic attempt to keep up with my high school friends.

After dressing and eating a bite or two of a banana, I head out the back door and walk toward my destination, the football field at Central High School.  At 6:20, there isn't much traffic, but the occasional light in the windows of the houses I pass tells me that I'm not the only body stirring this morning.   And there's something new in the air today -- snow flakes, swirling around my head.

As I pass the tennis courts , I am trying to convince myself that this will all be over in 35 minutes -- long enough to run 6 laps (twice) around the track.  Today's snow is accompanied by a gusting wind that is blowing fairly hard from the Northeast.  As is usually the case, I have the whole track to myself.

As I start my first lap, my thoughts wander to a call I received four weeks ago from my good friend, Paul Mundinger, a fellow pentathalete (that's someone over 50 trying to be active), who convinced me to try running in this event, as a way to shake off winter and lose a few pounds.  "It will be fun and it's not too far to run.  5K is only three miles," he continued, "and we can run it together."

To understand the irony of that moment requires listening to him say "we can run it together" last fall when we were planning to run a 10K during Oktoberfest.   At the time, neither of us had run any distance for probably 25 years, during which we had gained quite a few pounds and a measurable amount of gray hair.  At best, Paul had probably run no further than to the bathroom after finishing another beer during a Badger football  game.  I -- at least -- could run up and down a basketball court.

By the time I am nearing the end of my first lap, my breathing has become labored, and I am tempted to use the excuse of stretching just to catch my breath.  But as I cross the first lap marker, I gain a level of confidence that feels like a glowing ember rising from the warmth burning inside me.  "Let's make it another lap, " I tell myself, as a sky full of wet snowflakes continue to drop.

 

Running a 10K during Oktoberfest was a challenge that required more than opening my wallet for a new pair of running shoes (with sure lace and dual density collar) and a light-weight shirt (with a moisture transfer system).  It required an amazing amount of effort despite heat, humidity and early morning darkness.  It required a way to convince myself that I could complete 20 laps with minimal downtime, while ignoring pain from my ankles, calves, hamstrings and lower back.  And much to my dismay, --running the race alone, when Paul unexpectedly backed out because of a leg injury...

Fifteen minutes later, and one and a half miles later, I slow to a walk to catch my breath, which quickly blows away in the swirling wind.  As usual, by the time I take my first break from running, I am feeling pretty good -- my muscles having stretched enough to respond to the turns and pushes of the track.  The high you get from running was kicking in.  "You're half way there," I say as I begin my second round of six laps.

My mind wanders back to Paul's phone call to try a shorter race.  This time the challenge was not the 5 week commitment that I knew would be needed, but finding a way to overcome the effects of winter and five months of little activity.  For last fall's Oktoberfest race, I had been doing some core training and riding my bicycle.  This time, the early spring weather was cold, wet and dark -- obstacles which were proving difficult and highly unpredictable.  And less than three weeks into training, Paul strained his knee, putting him -- again -- out of the race and with his wife and my wife (who would be walking the 5K race).  I remind myself that the next time Paul asks me to run a race with him that I hang up before accepting the challenge.

As I was finding out for the second time within 6 months, the challenge of running is not something physical, but something mental -- overcoming the unexpected weather, and not depending on anyone to get you out of bed, to run and to finish.

With snow covering the black asphalt to my left, I continue to pound out the laps.  Sweat is dripping down my face and flakes of frozen water flutter into my eyes, which are staring straight ahead.  Plumes of frost escape my mouth as I place one foot in front of the other.

My twelfth and final lap is always my favorite quarter mile -- with nothing to stop me, I feel strong, fast and ahead of time.   I laugh at myself and shout, "I am unstoppable!"  Imagining wings sprouting from my ankles like the Roman god Mercury, I sprint around the last bend, feeling the possibilities of a new day.  Straight ahead is the finish -- and an end to heavy legs, the physical pain to my back, and to the fear that I can't finish the race.  As I cross the final lap -- in less than 33 minutes --  the relief of finishing is quickly pushed aside as I ponder another morning just like today.

And another 5:59 A.M. showing from my alarm clock.

Every Vote Counts

I don't think my son could have picked a better time to cast his first vote.

November 2, 2010 was a memorable night, when America turned from Democrat to Republican, and Wisconsin elected a new governor, stopped the re-election of Senator Russ Feingold, and put conservative majorities in the State Senate and Assembly.  It was a night which would resonate loudly for every citizen in the Badger state and throughout the country, sick of Obamacare and out-of-control spending.

It was early evening that he walked into the small school gym where we vote -- and registered for the first time.  (I'm too old to remember the first time I voted, but I'm guessing it was in college, when I was swept up in the 1980 election fervor between Ronald Reagan, President Carter and John Anderson.  That was almost three years AFTER being eligible to vote.)

Sean in Washington D.C.

I don't know how he voted last November, but I have an idea.  As a loyal watcher of Fox News, devoted listener of NPR, avid reader of Ayn Rand's Fountainhead and owner of a copy of the religious Qur'an, he is interested in many divergent points of view.  I would expect no less from someone who is looking forward to college and a brave new world.

I say his "timing" is great because the last 5 month's have been unbelievable in ways that he will remember for the rest of his life.  In just the 157 days since he cast his ballot, he has seen --

. thousands of protesters -- including teachers, students, big union representatives, Hollywood actors, director Michael Moore, and the Rev Jesse Jackson -- gather on the steps of Wisconsin's state capitol building.  Regardless of their misguided reasons, you have to admit that residents of Wisconsin know how to throw a protest party.

. an attempt to remove collective bargaining rights for state public employees.  Back in 1959, Wisconsin was the first state in the US to provide these "rights" to public employees, and unions are not going to let it go without a fight.

. the flight of 14 Democrat senators from the state, leaving 19 Republican senators one vote short of a quorum needed to pass the state spending bill.  State police were dispatched to retrieve the senators, but because they had slipped into nearby Illinois, they were unable to bring them back.

. a "sick day" in schools throughout the state to allow teachers to protest in Madison.  Weeks later, these same teachers held a make-up day of school, but since students weren't required to attend, the school day for those students who showed up consisted of movies, music and free time on the computer.

. the creation of a Facebook page that lists companies that contributed at least $5,000 to Scott Walker's campaign, with the intention of "bringing woe to companies that support him, and therefore his anti-worker, anti-education and anti-progress politics."

. recall efforts to remove 16 state senators from both parties for their support or opposition to the bill curtailing public employee unions.  One of these, Senator Kapanke of La Crosse, has received death threats, suffered vandalism to his car and discovered nails scattered on his driveway.

. the temporary passage of Walker's bill when the State Senate removed all budgetary measures.  Eight days later, (union-friendly) Judge Maryann Sumi issued a stay on the bill saying it had been passed without the required 24-hour notice to inform the public of the meeting.  It remains in court (never a good omen) as I write this post.

.  an election for a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, viewed as a referendum on Governor Walker's budget battles.  On the morning following the election, results showed Democrat Kloppenburg leading Republican Prosser by a minuscular 204 votes, or 50.1% to 49.9%.  It was the most expensive state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin history, with $3.58 million spent by outside political support groups.

. a reversal of fortunes, when it was reported that a Waukesha county clerk announced that she had forgotten to report to the AP an additional 14,000 votes, giving the election lead back to incumbent Prosser.  Democrats and conspiracy theory advocates have cried foul.

. an eleventh-hour budget deal that prevented the U.S. Government from shutting down.  Budget shortfalls and party programs will continue to force battles between liberal and conservative ideologies until the next presidential election in 2012.

Who knows what the remainder of this year will bring?  In all likelihood, some of the senators being recalled will lose in their special election, and the union-busting bill will eventually wind up in the Wisconsin Supreme Court.  So the future will be anything but boring.

Every morning -- while the smell of coffee brings my household to life --my son snatches the frost-covered newspaper from outside our door.  Like a spy coming in from the cold, the Tribune leads with headache-inducing headlines that speak of open law violations, constitutional crises, trillion dollar deficits, government shut-downs and bankrupt social security/Medicare futures.  Local talk radio is flooded with ads that misrepresent candidates and their positions, and callers -- with too little information and too little time -- blast local events and developments.  Evening news reports are vidid with video of thousands of protesters surrounding the capitol building in Madison.  Teachers, well known throughout the community (and who "teach" our children Monday through Friday) hold signs attacking Governor Walker for being another Hitler or Darth Vader.  And fellow students stand and scream on street corners asking for signatures that will recall a local businessman/owner of a successful summer league baseball team.

What's an impressionable teenager to think?  Or do?

In my son's case, vote.

Obama's Lack of Leadership

You might find this hard to believe, but there is a word in the dictionary that is appropriate for what's happening in our intervention into Libya's festering civil war.  The word is OBAMBULATE, which means to "wander or walk about aimlessly."  You can check it out if you don't believe me.

It's a fitting word for the lack of leadership coming from President Obama on the majority of issues he has faced in his two years of office.

Starting with Libya, yesterday during a press briefing, we were treated with this hilarious exchange between Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes and a journalist who asked:  "If it's not a war, what's the right way to characterize this operation?"

Leader of the Pack
Vince Lombardi

Mr. Rhodes said:  "I think what we've said is that this is a military operation that will be limited in both duration and scope.  Our contribution to this military operation that is enforcing a U.N. Security Council resolution is going to be limited to the from end, and then we'll shift to a support role..."

Question:  "But it's not going to war then?"

Mr Rhodes answered:  "Well, again, I think what we are doing is enforcing a resolution that has a very clear set of goals, which is protecting the Libyan people, averting a humanitarian crisis and setting up a no fly-zone.  Obviously that involves "kinetic military action", particularly on the front end..."

In response to the earlier question, it's clear that President Obama has no interest in exhibiting any leadership on the Libyan conflict.  Not only won't he call it a war, but he talks about providing humanitarian aid, to enforcing the no fly zone to providing naval and air support, with little or no clarity to our mission.  His dependency on NATO (who's origins date back to creating a North Atlantic Alliance to support member countries -- of which Libya IS NOT ONE) eliminates the United States and President Obama from taking the lead in what is understandably a difficult situation.

Can you imagine President George Washington, Ulysses Grant,  Prime Minister Winston Churchill or better yet, General George Patton using "kinetic military action" to describe our activities?  For President Obama, not only is war hell -- but apparently -- so is just saying it.

President Obama has shown NO leadership in the handling of one of the biggest problems our country is facing -- illegal immigration.  Instead of showing support for tough new immigration reform -- designed to identify, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants -- President Obama filed a lawsuit against Arizona saying that the state was taking matters into its own hands.  That's our job, the U.S. Justice Department argued.

Apparently their job is to oppose Arizona's new immigration law.  Speaking at a naturalization ceremony last year, President Obama call for an overhaul of immigration laws to avoid "irresponsibility by others." He later added that the Arizona law threatened "to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans...".  Huh?  Since when does identifying ILLEGAL immigrants and deporting them undermine American fairness?  Maybe breaking the law is an acceptable way of doing business in Chicago, but not for the rest of the country.

I understand that President Obama, being a democrat, was likely to oppose the new law.  What I don't understand is why he decided to interject himself into this debate at all.  States across the country have proposed or enacted hundreds of bills addressing immigration since 2007 (some 222 laws and 131 resolutions in 48 states) because the federal government won't enforce the laws that will make these states safe.  If he wants to exhibit leadership on this issue, he should stop micromanaging immigration reform and just tell the Justice Department to "do their job."

For too many years, politicians have put votes and their survival before the safety of their constituents and the rights of states to protect their borders.  President Obama's no different.

If Obama takes the lead on anything these days, it's getting out there and apologizing for occasions when America has been " arrogant, dismissive and derisive" toward Europe.  Rather than being a statesman for a strong America, Obama has claimed that America has "a moral responsibility to act" on arms control because only the U.S. has "used a nuclear weapon."  In Latin America, he said the U.S. had not "pursued and sustained engagement with our neighbors" because we "failed to see that our own progress is tied directly to progress throughout the Americas."

Why the criticism?  As Nicolle Wallace explained in a Daily Beast article last year "Why is Obama Apologizing for America?" it's not because Obama is anti-American.  It's because he views America as needing to BE SAVED from its past (bombing Hiroshima, the Bay of Pigs and Pershing and cruise missiles in Europe and the Middle East).  And as it's savior, Obama must tear it down before he can save it.

By all accounts, President Obama does not see American exceptionalism.  Lacking in his definition is a belief in America's special accomplishments and a history of unrivaled freedom, generosity, productivity, innovation, militaristic and diplomatic strength and record as liberators, protectors, and defenders.

Finding fault in America has never had a seat in the Oval Office quite like it does with Obama.

My last post talked about how people are feeling like things have never been worse.  Throughout the history of this great country -- through depressions, wars and unemployment -- citizens have looked to our president for confidence, a great vision, and hope.  It is also important that our leaders hold an optimistic view of the world, so that they can inspire others to achieve better things and overcome obstacles to freedom and choice.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in her eulogy of former president Ronald Reagan, stated the following:  "In his lifetime, Ronald Reagan was such a cheerful and invigorating presence that it was easy to forget what daunting historic tasks he set for himself.  He sought to mend America's wounded spirit, to restore the strength of the free world and to free the slaves of Communism."

Is it too much to expect the same from Obama?