Though I question his citizenship I only do so because of the money he has thrown at keeping the birth certificate debate out of courts.  But here is some information that is interesting in the debate.

From http://www.crossactionnews.com/articles/view/how-crazy-are-those-birthers

Natural Born Citizen

Article II-Section I-Clause 5 of the US Constitution requires that ONLY a "natural born citizen" hold the office of President. It's no secret what they meant or why that clause exists. It is a matter of national security.

Lets not play any games here, too many games have been played with this phrase already. It's a very simple term that anyone with a dictionary can figure out.

Not just any ole "citizen,"

Not Native "belonging to a particular place by birth"

Not Naturalized - "to confer the rights of a national on; especially : to admit to citizenship" (as with an immigrant)

But NATURAL - "Pertaining to nature; produced or effected by nature, or by the laws of growth, formation or motion impressed on bodies or beings by divine power."

The US Senate got it exactly right in 2008 in their unanimous resolution proclaiming John McCain a "natural born citizen" of the Unites States of America, based upon the well-known fact that BOTH of his parents were indeed legal citizens of the United States at the time of John's birth. In other words, by "divine power" and the "laws of growth," "produced by nature" of the fact that his parents were US citizens, so was John McCain, by birth right via natural ancestry.

However, no such Senate resolution concerning Barack Obama exists, and the standard applied to John McCain is NOT being applied to Barack Obama.

The Birth Certificate

Obama supporters like Snopes and FactCheck claim to have a copy of Obama's birth certificate, but they do NOT. I challenge any reader of this column to send me a certified copy of Obama's actual birth certificate and I will gladly disclose it to the public along with a retraction of this statement.

I won't get one, because no such document has ever been released by Obama. End of story!

Officials in Hawaii have issued their "opinion" that Obama is a "natural born citizen" of the United States. But they have thus far refused to make public the documents used to arrive at that opinion, and until they do so, their "opinion" is nothing more than inadmissible hearsay from a third party NOT present at the time of Obama's birth, and they are therefore, unable to support such a claim.

Not one, but THREE different COLBs, (Certification of Live Birth, not to be confused with an actual birth certificate) have been posted online by Team Obama, Snopes and FactCheck. But none of the three contain any verifiable information necessary to vet the documents and since three have been offered, all must be treated as forgeries until one of them can be authenticated.

Some "birthers" believe Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii. That's because Obama's Kenyan relatives have stated under oath, that they were present at Obama's birth in Kenya.

But where he was born isn't so important. The fact that he was born to a father who was at no time a citizen of the United States, is the problem. On this basis alone, Obama is NOT a "natural born citizen" of the United States and that makes him an "unconstitutional president" at best!

Proof of Constitutional Standing

Other than the three different COLBs posted online by Obama, Snopes and FactCheck, Obama has offered NO other proof of legal US citizenship, much less "natural born" status as required by Article II of the Constitution. NONE! If you think I'm wrong, send me the proof you have!

We know that he traveled to Pakistan, among other places in the Middle East, during his college years, and that he did NOT hold a US passport at that time. We know that he received his first US passport as a "diplomat," while he was a state senator in Illinois, which also allowed him to bypass the normal process of getting a US passport.

But because he will not open up his records, we do NOT know what passport he traveled on during those college trips to the Middle East.

We know he attended three of the most expensive colleges in the United States. But we do NOT know how he was able to pay his tuition without any job, why he changed schools, or why former Black Panther Godfather Dr. Khalid al-Mansour (aka Donald Warden, Saudi Royal Family front man) and New York Panther Percy Sutton, helped him into Harvard.

Bottom line, Obama is one great big secret mystery!

Take a look at these pictures, and tell me that racism isn't alive and well. This is the much heralded march on Washington.

The Ugly Truth about 9/12: It’s all about Racism.

The moron convention converged on Washington today . Talk about thick headed asshats. You can tell me the debate going on in this country right now is not seeded in racism and hate all you want. After seeing some of these pictures, I just won't believe you. http://www.flickr.com/photos/42406957@N04/sets/72157622225019439/show/

http://wnymedia.net/wnymedia/marcodien/2009/09/the-ugly-truth-about-912-its-all-about-racism/

In his address to a joint session of Congress tonight, President Obama said,
"The time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action," the president told members of the House and Senate who showed their partisanship in their reactions throughout the 45-minute speech.
"Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do," Obama said. "Now is the time to deliver on health care."
Obama was interrupted more than 50 times by applause from members of Congress, including a few bipartisan gestures of approval.
But one member, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., interrupted the president's speech to yell, "You lie!" after the president asserted his proposals would not provide health insurance to illegal immigrants.
Later, Wilson offered a written apology.
"This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the president's remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill," he said. "While I disagree with the president's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility."
Louisiana Rep. Charles Boustany delivered the Republican response to President Obama's speech on health care.

The President's Plan for Health Reform

“It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance.
It will provide insurance to those who don’t. And it will lower the cost of health care
for our families, our businesses, and our government."
– PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

 
If You Have Health Insurance,
the President's Plan:
•Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions.
•Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age.
•Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most.
•Caps out-of-pocket expenses so people don’t go broke when they get sick.
•Eliminates extra charges for preventive care like mammograms, flu shots and diabetes tests to improve health and save money.
•Protects Medicare for seniors.
•Eliminates the “donut-hole” gap in coverage for prescription drugs. 
 If You Don’t Have Insurance,
the President's Plan:
•Creates a new insurance marketplace — the Exchange — that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices.
•Provides new tax credits to help people buy insurance.
•Provides small businesses tax credits and affordable options for covering employees.
•Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice.
•Immediately offers new, low-cost coverage through a national “high risk” pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created. 
 For All Americans,
the President's Plan:
•Won’t add a dime to the deficit and is paid for upfront.
•Requires additional cuts if savings are not realized.
•Implements a number of delivery system reforms that begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality.
•Creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system.
•Orders immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, not on practicing defensive medicine.
•Requires large employers to cover their employees and individuals who can afford it to buy insurance so everyone shares in the responsibility of reform. 
 

This is a legitimate challenge to all critical thinkers.  Watch the two youtube videos below (a total investment of less than 3 minutes of your time), then without the filter of partisanship, without claiming "out of context" since the videos are completely in context.  Using only critical thinking skills, explain how the statements in each of the videos can be reconciled.

Here are a few items brought to my attention by Neal Boortz about the democrat health care proposal.

- Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf said "The health care overhauls released to date would increase, not reduce, the burgeoning long-term health costs facing the government,"

Don't believe me? Here's the link.

-"According to that assessment [from the CBO], enacting the proposal would result in a net increase in federal budget deficits of about $1.0 trillion over the 2010-2019 period."

Don't believe me? Here's the link.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,532183,00.html

Looks like Obama wants to squelch the voices of those among us who are forceful, unrelenting, and who display our convictionson the internet.

Truthfully thats misleading but he is appointing a man, Cass Sunstein, who has that view to the WH Office of Information and Regulatory Affaris.  They oversee regulations throughout the government.  He will have the power to enact his beliefs.

It appears that there is even more to the communist/socialist turn of the U.S. than even I had previously thought.  Gorbachev, former Soviet leader and map head, believe that the west should adopt a plan that is more concerned with the welfare of the public and less so with the "super-profits and hyper-consumption".  He, like Obama, wants a plan "that will emphasize public needs and public goods, such as a cleaner environment, well-functioning infrastructure and public transportation, sound education and health systems and affordable housing."

My comrades rejoice, Perestroika is coming!

On a briskly cold day in January at around 5:45 AM, I pulled up to 17^th Ave and L Street, which isn't far from Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC.  The atmosphere was serene, almost quiet, yet one could feel the excitement bubbling out from the anticipating crowds making their way down Pennsylvania Avenue to the national mall.  A few minutes later, I received a call from a WBTA (a local radio station) asking for some of my thoughts....at the moment that he called I looked forward and saw a majestic site, I rubbed my eyes and in the twilight, saw the White House.  It all started to hit me then, the history that was being made, the greatness of America, the civility that we possess in this country, where the most powerful among us willingly gives up his power. Despite all that we had been through, there it was, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, ready for its next occupant.

We made our way to the national mall, first passing through the area around the Washington Monument, we ran into some very helpful volunteers, girl scouts, boy scouts (a favorite of mine, given that I'm an Assistant Scoutmaster) and just regular people. Some offered directions, some gave out maps, some cheered on to “fire up” the crowds and others offered a friendly “hello”.  Then came the street vendors, there was absolutely no end to the people selling Obama, well, everything, a person whom I was sharing the experience with referred to the event as “Obama-palooza” partially because of this, Obama buttons (I bought a few), Obama T-Shirts, Obama hoodies, if you can imagine just about anything, it was there with our new President's name on it.  After making our way through the crowds it was still relatively early, we arrived at the spot that we would call home for the next 6 hours or so at around 7AM, it was a good spot, close the National Observatory yet still about a half a mile away from the capitol.  The distance wasn't really relevant, jumbotrons and speakers had been set up throughout the mall and as far back as the Lincoln memorial so everyone could see the event.

This may be the most shocking part of all, the crowd, in addition to being extremley diverse, with every group represented (Young, Old, Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, Indian etc), all were also extremely polite.  After the event I learned that despite the large attendance there hadn't been one arrest....and I never saw behavior that would warrant an arrest either. I saw nor experienced any pushing, shoving, fighting or even argument, everyone that needed to get by provided a polite “excuse me” and passed through.  That also being said, the excitement was in the air for sure, people were shouting, cheering and even singing in anticipation of the arrival of the President elect, that all being said, it wasn't “crazy” at all.  I received a few text messages asking if the situation was “crazy”, but inact, because of the politeness and almost serenity of the crowd, it really wasn't.  No one got violent or even upset, it was an atmosphere of togetherness, a friend of mine likened it to a “football game where we're all rooting for the same team”.  He had it right on.

As the hours approached, we we're entertained by a replay of the concert broad casted on HBO on the Sunday before, this added to our excitement and almost feeling of community amongst the crowd.  We were standing next to a group of people from Greensboro, North Carolina and we couldn't have asked to have had a better “neighbors” per say for the event.  They were just as excited as we were, not only that Barack Obama had won their home state and that he got elected President but that on this day, the spirit of American renewal was upon us all.

Time continued to pass and soon, the moment was beginning to arrive and the dignitaries began to pour in.  As they appeared on the jumbotron before the crowd, the reactions went from rousing to amusing. Firstly, Dick Cheney and Joe Lieberman were soundly booed (so was President Bush, but not as badly), as Cheney was wheeled out onto the stage, all that I could help to think of was Mr. Potter from “It's a Wonderful Life” and Lieberman, well, I can imagine that the crowd was still not too happy about his endorsement of John McCain.  I do wish in many ways that this would not happen, but it gives a clear snapshot of the opinion of the current administration, even a normally unpopular administrations faces wouldn't be booed at an inauguration, but this shows the new low in popularity and the general divisiveness that Bush, Cheney, Lieberman and co. have brought upon this Country.  It also showed the real need for renewal, at that moment I realized that we needed this Presidency.  The time couldn't have come sooner.

The other reactions we're fine, John McCain received nominal cheers, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton (being the last Democratic Presidents) were given roaring receptions and even George HW Bush was cheered. During all of this, everyone's favorite celebrity began to appear on the screens.  Everyone from Oprah and Jay-Z to Bruce Springsteen were all present.  I usually loath to get hyped up about celebrities, but in this case we saw a number of high profile people who showed an interest in civics and stood for patriotism, perhaps this is a good example that they can set for years to come.

The big moment came, and it came with force, for the rest of my life I will now be able to say when Barack Obama took the oath of office that I was there, standing among a crowd that Martin Luther King Jr. would be so proud to see, surrounded by “Black Men and White Men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics,”, all people from different walks of life standing together in solidarity, supporting our new President, celebrating the casting off of the old and applying the new.  A professor of mine said that this inauguration was more about the “seeing” than the “hearing”, I can't help but totally agree.  This was the clear moment of change, this is when America renewed itself, this was when Barack Obama, who described himself as a “skinny black kid with a funny name” after a dynamic campaign took the office that he had earned through hard work and determination.

This was when Barack Obama became the President of the United States. Being there for that alone is a privilege itself worth a thousand lifetimes, it is something that I surely will remember with a sense of inspiration, a moment that said above all else embodied the true spirit of this country “With hard work, you can do anything that you try,”.

God bless America.

Andrea Bozek, from the Office of Rep. Chris Lee, sent us some photos from the congressman. It looks like Lee snapped these shots from the Capitol steps, above and behind the ceremony. Some pretty neat shots here, including President Barack Obama's swearing-in. Please note that the photos have been cropped to best fit our site. You can view the full size photos by visiting the link above.

Earlier today, Lee got us his statement following the inauguration.

“President Obama’s inaugural address set the right tone for the work that lies ahead in repairing our economy and restoring the public’s trust in their government. I am hopeful that today marks the beginning of an era of progress grounded in a commitment to bipartisan solutions."

I have not been on the Batavian in some time and I must say that I do miss it.  Since it's inception it has allowed many people in this area a chance to speak thier mind and to inform us of issues and ideas.  With all that being said, and perhaps in an effort to keep my thoughts simple, I would like to just say that the awe inspiring rescue from Hudson hs given me time to reflect and renew.  It did prove two things to me:  ONE - People can and will reach out to help others in need.  The very basis of people helping people was proven in the most populous city in our nation.  TWO - Prepartion is the key and you need to prepare with your heart.   How many of us are sure that we would jump into freezing 35 degree water to help others in peril.  Not only do we need to prepare with our minds, strength and equipment, but we need to prepare with our heart.  Plan & simple.

Lastly, It is time that we all stood up and told the naysayers to take a hike.  I have already heard several nasty  things against President Obama and the Democrat led nation that is about to be a  reality.  To those who wish to unleash this nastiness, please realize that "what goes around - comes around".  It is a time that we give our new leaders a chance to govern and yes, to change.  Don't count them out or damn them to failure before anything is tried or accomplished....  As always, as good Americans....we need to give all our leaders a chance.

Thanks for listening....and here's to a more successful year.

Now that the almost inevitable selection of Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State is official, the already drawn out speculation of who will fill her seat is in full swing and will no doubt dominate news coverage for the next few weeks.  I was thinking today though, what if Governor Paterson had to choose from Genesee County, seeing how close the Democorats are to having a 60 vote majority, the likelihood of him picking a Republican is slim....so popular Republican Assemblyman Steve Hawley, or really any other known Republican would be out of the question.

In this fun hyothetical, or shall I say, localthetical, who would Governor Paterson pick if he had to choose from Genesee County leaders?

Obviously, in terms of name recognition he would start with major Government leaders, so number 1 on the list would probably be Batavia City Council President Charlie Mallow.  Love the guy or hate him (personally I like the guy), he brought the City into the black, worked across the aisle to bring proposed tax increases far down from their original expectations and was the leader of two tickets that led to Democratic control of the City Council, he's also shown that he has the fundraising ability to help large scale fundraising efforts in Batavia and county wide. 

Perhaps Paterson would also consider the straight-shooting Rosemary Christian, with her reputation as a fighter and her popularity with the local ethnic communities, she wouldn't back down to Republican pressure in the US Senate.  Paterson also might be credited for picking a 'maverick' , who sincerley votes with her conciense and puts the interests of working people first. 

The level headed Kathy Briggs may also play a factor in Paterson's mind, she also has shown that she can work well across the aisle and still stands up for what she believes in, her background as a teacher may also be a major bonus, Briggs also has good relations with the local Conservative party, and could possibly pull their support. 

Ed DeJanerio would also be given obvious consideration, he's defined himself locally as a scrappy campaigner who doesn't just beat his opponents, he gives them an electoral thrashing through careful and positive messaging and by hitting every single house in his district.  Ed is a careful and moderate leader in the County Legislature who focuses on constituant services.

Batavia School Board President Pat Burk would cleary be the "education" choice, he's been working with education on the board before I was even a thought in anyone's minds he's lead the district through thick and then and has brought Batavia into respectability state wide, especially with Batavia High School being such a high-performing school.  His selection would also be a bonus because of his work with the State School Boards Association, Burk could act as a representative on education on behalf of President Obama statewide. 

Paterson could also pull a triple whammy by selecting School Board Member Gary Stich, the current President and CEO of Oxbow corporation, thus adding private sector bonfidias along with an obvious interest in education with the know-how and connections to turn around the upstate economy, I'm not entirely sure of his partisan affiliation, so obviously some agreement with him caucusing with the Democrats would have to be worked out (if he isn't already one).

Maybe Paterson would reach into LeRoy for his selection, former party Chair Ray Yaccuzo has been active in environmental issues and has been a community leader outside of politics for most of his life, in addition he has valuable executive experience being the former mayor of LeRoy. 

Speaking of former LeRoy mayors, Jim Delooze would also recieve close attention, he also has good relations with the local Conservative party and really put his heart and soul into Leroy.  Despite his defeat in his last election, it appears that his careful budgeting and smart governing left LeRoy in a pretty good position, and with his energetic campaign style he certainly would be an asset to the Democrats.

There's also possible picks from the surronding towns, such as Barb Kapperman, a former candidate for County Treasurer and who has had much experience working with Government finance, can you say budget balancer?

Now we go back to the reality of Governor Paterson's possible picks, Andrew Cuomo, Brian Higgins, Byron Brown, Nydia Valesquez and Steve Israel, all great possible picks without a question....but just think of all the great choices Governor Paterson would have if he was limited to Genesee County.

I must be getting older....or at least a bit more like Andy Rooney,  the curmudgeonly complainer of 60 Minutes.  Certain things really get to me now, and I make sure some people know that they do.  I get cranky....very, very cranky.

Case in point.  The other day an old friend of mine (who has always been a mid-centered Democrat) told me she wasn't going to vote for President this year.  This was due to the fact that her Mom disliked McCain because he was not really a war hero and her grandfather told her Obama was a Muslim.  That comment certainly bugged me.  Not only is none of it true, it is incinderary and ignorant.  McCain survived a Prisoner of War camp and he survived while his concern increased for his fellow prisoners and his injuries from a plane crash worsened.  Sounds like a true hero to me.  Obama was raised in Kansas and attended a Christian Church that his very American grandparents attended.   Last time I looked, Kansas was not a hotbed of Muslim activity but what was really negative about this comment was the insinuation that if an American citizen is Muslim he must therefore not be a good American.  Only two words for this type of comment.  It is a racist, hateful remark.  Both charges are untrue and I hope the electorate does not believe such bitter, deceitful crap.

That leads me to a local issue.  When, all of a sudden, did the City of Batavia School District become the bad guy in the Youth Football argument.  At our first Board Meeting of this school year, a resolution was planned and passed to see if we could aid in this situation.  This was done knowing that not all the participants are from the City School District and that ourfields are already crowded and hard to maintain without adding more money to the budget.  A phone call from Councilwoman Clattenburg was recieved AFTER the resolution was written and placed on the agenda.  In the spirit of cooperation, and with thanks to Mrs. Clattenburg, we moved forward to make this the first directive given to the Buildings and Grounds Committee for this coming year.

There the board sat yesterday unanamously passing a resolution which states that there will be an investigation and discussion to see if the North Street Extension Property may be developed or another plan that would include the District's property could be used to help alleviate this problem.  Regardless of what some may think, we do like to help and solve, not obstruct and confuse.  The Board of Education and its new superintendent, Margaret Puzio, acted out of a community minded incentive and a pro-youth incentive.  Lo and behold.... a speaker gets up and blasts the board for refusing to act on this issue and refusing to allow Youth Football to use Van Detta.  The statements were all unfounded.  Youth Football has NOT ASKED US to act on this at all.   NO ONE from youth football has contacted us or asked.  Councilwoman Clattenburg asked in accordance with our already planned resolution.  Even staff writer's of the Batavian write negatively about the school and situation without asking the simple question.  If the meeting speaker and the staff writer had asked, they would have found out the truth.  Now they know it.

Complaint number three is simply the result of gas prices and any political candidates "energy policy".  Please listen to what all the politicians and pundits are saying.  Remember it is an election year and in some polls the number one concern the electorate has is the price of gas....so much for insurance and education and security.  The plain truth is that people vote their pocketbook.  No matter what anyone says, that is the truth.  WIth this in mind I ask a simple questionm "Why did we Americans allow Dick Cheney to write a SECRET oil and energy policy and ply us with his fraudulent explanation?"  I have been talking about this failed Bush Energy Doctrine since it was first developed in SECRET.  It contains ways to defuse concern on Global Warming (Even the Whitehouse admits it exists now!  WOW! talk about a baptism!).  It talks about increasing profits to allow for more exploration, but very little exploration has been done.  It in itself promotes our reliance on oil, both foreign and domestic.  Of course that is more money in the pockets of the Bush/Cheney "Friends and Family Plan".

My answer to this was to purchase cars that got close to 40 miles per gallon or more.  Some in the public bought huge machines that get less than 12 miles per gallon.  Here is my idea.  Smaller, more fuel efficient cars should get a gas rebate which will be paid by the higher taxes the BIG HUGE MANLY vehicles will pay to fill up.  That way there will be incentive to purchase and drive the higher mileage vehicles.  Before anyone goes and checks the Constitution, there is no amendment stating that we have rights to be gas guzzlers.  Let the insatiable appetites of the low mileage drivers place this one right on thier backs.  It deserves to be there.

Thanks for listening.....maybe one day, I will replace Andy Rooney...... nah...Batavia is too interesting. 

There is one thing that we all should be very happy about  this year.....for once, at least in my opinion, we have two wonderful candidates for President.  I hope that neither slips too far into that quagmire of wanting to be the "Good Little Party Boy", the leader of the fringe of their respective political parties while trying to maintain a centrist message that will capture just the right amount of electoral votes from the correct color of states.  Who picked red and blue anyway?  

Since we seem to have done the party selection process with some positive results, could we now look at the Electoral College?  I really do dislike it.  It really is why we have had the last eight dismal years and it may reflect what happens in future elections as well.  Why can't we just have the best man win?  How is that one man can win the popular vote of this country and have it not mean anything?  It just does not make sense.  It certainly makes for some interesting reporting but it also steals away the each vote counts idea.  

Both the Obama camp and the McCain camp already have a list of states where they will not campaign.  We are lucky here in New York that even though this is considered a solid Obama state, both will appear because of the vast amount of cash each can get from New York State.  The same holds true for Californina.  Can you imagine being in Nebraska?  Small amount of electoral votes, below the national medium of income and solid red.  They won't see much of this election.  No long-winded half baked political commercials, no thousands of laws signs, no debates and "outside groups" calling each candidate names.....no swift boating of Obama......  Maybe there is something to be said about Nebraska after all.

I would love to see us adopt a shorter Primary Season with actual votes and no caucuses.  I would love to see the expense of the Electoral College go to pay off our ever increasing national debt and I would love to see campaigns capped for expenses and free TV and radio ads for candidates on the public airways.  I would like to see a vote total that counted and a reason for all candidates to work in all states to get the votes out.  I like the word change, but make it worth something, not just a political word used for expediency of your campaign while toting around lobbiest and cronies and collecting the cash.

My most recent "props" go out to Laura Bush, who correctly answered and defended Michelle Obama about her "proud for the first time in my life comment"  Mrs. Bush actually thought the press and the public should back off....if politicians and those campaigning can not mispeak or say something off the cuff.... we will have a very dull "sound bite" type of campaign.  Mrs. Obama did not deserve the grief and the educated public certainly did accept her explanation.  It was only on the "fair and balanced" network - which in itself is such a laugh - that it kept living much longer than it deserved.  Mrs. Obama said it, she explained it and that was that.  Cindy McCain, the multi-million dollar "Beer Queen" of Arizona brought it up again.  She better watch out because what goes around comes around.  You can bet that there are many out there watching her every word and past words to catch her with something.... oh and they will.

So we end up with two qualified candidates, we have the debate over the summer, the conventions in August, the commercials in the fall and then the election.  Let's just remember, it is important.  It should be treated with respect.  It should not become the news reporters that are making the news.  Oh and the "fair and balanced" network should take a lesson on truth in advertising.  Then we truly would have a wonderful election.....Don't forget to vote (especially if your state is deemed purple). 

And so it goes....Finally, last night after 18 grueling months of campaigning and 5 1/2 months of voting and caucusing, we now have our two Presidential Candidates.  Whew....there has got to be a better way to select the contenders for this office.  I am all for democracy and the people in each party choosing, but does it have to cost hundreds of millions of dollars?  In some states the costs for campaigning for the Primary Election were more than what was spent in the last General Election in each state.  I think we need a change.....

Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain are wonderful candidates and they both rose to the top like cream in a butter churn....but can't the process be streamlined and fine tuned so that there are more Super Tuesdays and more primaries closer together?  Let's make every Tuesday in January and February a Super Tuesday. 

Here is my idea.  If your state touches the Pacific you vote on one Tuesday.  If your state was in the original 13 Colonies you vote another Tuesday.  If your state borders the Gulf of Mexico and does not begin with the letter T you vote on another Tuesday.  If your state has any part of the Rocky Mountains in it  you vote on another Tuesday.  If your state is in the center of the country and you are going to vote for the Republican anyway is another Tuesday.  If your state touches the Mississippi  River and is not part of another group is another Tuesday.  If your state touches the Great Lakes and is not part of another group you vote on yet another Tuesday and last but not least, if you live in a state that begins with T and has a capital named Austin you vote when you damn well please.  We won't count it anyway because that is the price you pay for sending us George Bush II. 

There you have it.  In seven weeks we could get the decision done, our candidates will be picked and we can get on with the campaign for the fall.  So right around Valentines Day we are finished and the national pundits can discuss it and poll it and dissect it and re-poll it until the cows come home.  I like this idea.  I also think that right after the grueling 7 week Primary Season is over, we force the two left standing to go on a 7 week vacation paid for by the taxpayers.  It would be worth it to send them away.  We would not see them, hear them or even think of them until sometime after Easter.  The peace and quiet and interviewless news days would be a breath of fresh air.  This only leaves  about 7 months for the barage of messages, lies, inuendos and false-fact "nonpolitical party" based advertisments.  We also should allow the candidates only so much per diem to campaign.  I'm thinking like $75.  That should cover two meals and some mileage reimbursement (If gas goes up over $5 a gallon my idea would be to increase it to $80 a day).  

So that is the plan...Pure and simple.  Stop the insanity.  Lose the endless commercials and news stories.  Make the politcal pundits look for jobs elsewhere, after all they only speculate and are never right (Remember McCain was all washed up and Hillary was a sure thing??????)  Make the candidates drive from town to town and eat at McDonald's or Burger King in thier 1996 Ford Fiestas.  It would save us a ton of headaches, make our lives more enjoyable and make them at least understand a budget.

And so it goes....phase one is over, phase two begins and phase three........well, I think I will nap until phase five.   That way I will not be upset over all the excessive spending while there are so many people in need.  I won't see the false promises and nasty commercials.  I won't be thinking about puppet masters like Dick "Mr. Shotgun" Cheney,  that will lead the candidates down the path of "political correctness".   I will wake up on November 1st, listen to the two left standing and make a choice.   Until then,  maybe Cindy McCain will release  her millions of dollars tax records and Hillary will send Bill back to Harlem to his office and Barack and Michele can pick a church with a sane leader.  Oh and maybe by then the Fundamentalist Christians will start to understand the whole separate church and state idea and start acting like Christians.  Well a man can wish, can't he??????

And so it goes........