Thoughts

There are things I dislike seeing in print, on TV or wherever. The current top contender is the six words seen on ads by law firms: "You may be entitled to compensation". If that isn't urging viewers/readers to grab someone else's property, I don't know what is.

Obama has a high likeability rating? Likeable? He invites the Supreme Court to his State of the Union address, then scolds them in front of the world. He invites Paul Ryan to a budget speech and criticizes him in front of the audience. Just two examples of behavior I do not consider likeable.

Many pundits are now saying that, in the long run, a presidential candidate's choice for his VP does not matter. Maybe they forgot Thomas Eagleton. But then, that all happened in 1972 - forty years ago. Unless you are nearing age 60, you could hardly know. George McGovern was the Dem's nominee for President. He chose Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton as his VP pick. It was revealed that Eagleton had undergone some medical procedure that was perceived to be treatment for mental illness. It sank McGovern's candidacy. Could Joe Biden's endless stream of gaffes do the same for President Obama?

Speaking of George McGovern. After the liberal Senator's political career, he sank his savings into a restaurant/Inn. After struggles against going broke, he now offers the Conservative line that in today's regulatory climate it is almost impossible to succeed in a small business.

During the 2008 election cycle, I read Obama's book Dreams From My Father. I was struck by his consistent unfairness. In Hawaii, his white grandmother was frightened by an aggressive black panhandler. Obama took the side of the unknown panhandler, saying his grandmother's complaint hit him like a kick in the gut. As a community organizer in Chicago, when he was unable to persuade the City government to satisfy the complaints of his constituents, he demonized the City... even black mayor Harold Washington. Where was the City's side of the story? Now he touts fairness?

I was completing a political survey. The question was Do you favor a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution? I thought, You Bet, and checked the YES box. Then I thought again. What happens when the politicians near the end of a fiscal year and realize they have spent more than their tax revenue? The obvious answer is they will raise taxes, saying they must... The Constitution requires a balanced budget! I did not submit the survey.

Some are complaining that rich investors are paying a lower tax rate than some of us working slobs. But, do those investors set the tax rates? Hardly!. It was recognized that there was a need for wealthy people to invest in businesses, rather than tax shelters like tax-fee municipal bonds. So, the government set tax rates from business investment income lower to encourage that kind of investment. No one is complaining about the tax-free bonds. So, where's the beef?

Ask the next ten people you meet if the U.S. Constitution provides for a separation of church and state. Many, if not most... if not all... will say "Yes". Then hand them a copy of The Constitution and ask them to show you where. (Don't have a copy of The Constitution? Get one here. or there.)

Sometimes thinking gives me a headache!