Egypt Takes a Stand

From Friday's NY Times:

"CAIRO — Just a day after Egypt’s military-backed government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group, a more aggressive crackdown was already emerging Thursday, as the authorities announced dozens of arrests across the country, and the seizure of land, stocks and vehicles belonging to the Islamist movement’s members.

Social and charitable groups even loosely associated with the group struggled after their funds were frozen by the state. It was a new level of disruption to a society already riven by violence and suspicion in the months since the military ousted Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president and a Brotherhood leader.

Egypt’s new leaders clearly signaled that they had opened a wide-ranging and possibly protracted war on every facet of the Brotherhood’s activities, with the terrorism designation giving the security forces greater latitude to stamp out a group deeply rooted in Egyptian social and civic life. The government had also sought to deny the group foreign help or shelter, urging other Arab governments to honor an anti-terrorism agreement and shun the organization."

If you recall, I wrote about this on September 3 in my commentary called "The Pharoh Is Dead?", when I discussed the arrest of Mohammed Morsi for his abuse of power by ordering the killing of his opponents, the horror of the "Arab Spring" and the tyranny of the Muslim Brotherhood. Upon reflection, my view of this action by the interim Egyptian government is strengthened because the government had the courage to treat this organization for what it is: a terrorist organization. 

As I said at the time: The Muslim Brotherhood came to power under the guise of democracy, but it has shown itself to be anything but. The Egyptian people elected Morsi and his party to power believing things would be better economically, politically, religiously. But instead, basic freedoms have been stifled, the economy is worse and the Coptics are being persecuted and murdered for not professing Islam.

As I wrote in "A Coming Disaster" in August and "The Israeli-al-Qaaeds War" in June, while both of these commentaries are "what-if" scenarios, some of these events are beginning to evidence themselves. Our country, unfortunately, is looked upon as the moral compass of the world by those countries rho understand the geopolitics of that region."

The Obama Administration needs to recognize it made a mistake by backing Morsi and his thugs, by coming out now and support the actions of the Egyptian government. Israel is certainly welcoming the actions of Egypt today, so why not the US? The President needs to remember which country in this region who has our back, so a reciprocating gesture is necessary to reassure our friends that we stand with them, and not some thug, punk group that the country who elected it has now outlawed it.

That action by President Obama would show the world we have regained our backbone and our moral compass. We need to do this now before our role is diminished by the actions of others. And the clock is ticking.

Thoughts on a Year Gone By

This is the last commentary I will be writing this year. Well, maybe not. I may write one or two over the next 10 days, depending on the events which will be shaping our lives. But since Barry is in Hawaii and the Members of Congress are away from DC, our country is safe from from further political destruction until after New Year's Day.

But, you never know, right?

To my Email buddies, thanks for your friendship and loyalty for these many years. To my Followers on Twitter, thank you for helping me grow to over 1,000 of you since February. I never knew so many passionate people like me existed in this country and elsewhere. And to my new Friends on Facebook, thanks for your friendship. You have only gotten a taste of what is yet to come.

For those of you who don't know the backstory, I lost a very dear friend, my mentor actually, this year, with whom I have corresponded since the late 90s, every week. Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch wrote a weekly commentary which would appear in various publications in the City, and he would email it to those of us who did not necessarily have access otherwise. I will tell you, and my longtime email buddies can attest, that he would write and I would generally respond. Every week for over 15 years. And respond and reply again, depending on the issue. And occasionally, both of us would write offline to each other.

When I was sick with cancer, he took the time to write to me, inquiring on my status and expressed his concern and good wishes for my speedy recovery. When the Mayor passed in February, my brother encouraged me to set up a blog and continue commenting on the issues of the day, as Ed did. Trust me, he is missed.

Initially, it was something I did on an occasional basis, but as with all things, "life is what happens when you are busy making other plans" (John Lennon). To me, this is now a daily process, twice a day. I have my own blog, and I appear daily in The Cal Report, Steve Foley's blog, and weekly in Front Lines, a blog owned by Candice Lanier.

This has been a very volatile year, as most years are. And, if history is anything but a predictor of future events, 2014 will be equally so. We can count on our President, his administration, the Congress and other politicians at the state and local levels to entertain us with their blunders, whether by word or deed. Absolutely guaranteed, as much as the sun rises each day. 

Certainly, as a retired banker, I can tell you that the banks will continue to be negatively in the news, as we will continue to see fines and penalties assessed for their roles in the meltdown of the financial markets in 2008. Someone has to pay for it, right? But the federal government will continue to be blameless, even though it encouraged banks to make those questionable loans.

The Middle East will continue its slow burn, from North Africa to Pakistan, and everywhere in between. Christians, Coptics, Jews, Kurds and others will be in the crosshairs of the weapons Sunnis and Shi`ites point at each other. Iran will certainly violate the Munich-style "nuclear treaty" it signed. The Iranians are already stretching the language to the limit. Russia will continue to grow in influence, especially in the Middle East. Cuba will be in the news, again, and perhaps the US and Cuba will reach an "accommodation" as the Castros begin to recognize their mortality. 

And don't forget about China and the other East Asian countries. Economically, China's influence in the world will grow exponentially in the coming year. After all, capitalism is fine as long as it benefits the People's Republic. 

There will be other topics, events, and stories of interest which are presently unrevealed. They, too, will come forward for all of us to opine. But that is all for another commentary. You can count on it.

For now, I wish you and your loved ones, friends and families all, the joys of this holiday season, whether you celebrate Solstice, Chanukah (belatedly), Kwanza or Christmas. May you find peace, happiness and joy as we wind down 2013. And may 2014 be better, happier and healthier than any year any of us has lived before. 

See you next week.

Right to Life or Death

In Thursday's Sac Bee:

'The family of a 13-year-old Northern California girl declared brain-dead after having surgery to remove her tonsils is asking a hospital not to take her off life support during the holidays.

Relatives met with senior officials at Oakland Children's Hospital on Thursday afternoon to ask them to keep Jahi McMath on life support until after Christmas, but they said hospital officials were not receptive to their request.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Jahi's mother, Nailah Winkfield, said she asked Dr. David Durand, the chief of pediatrics, how soon he planned to disconnect her daughter from the ventilator.

"Quickly" was his response, she said, adding that he showed "absolutely no compassion at all."

Jahi's uncle, Omari Sealey, who was also in the meeting, said Durand was "very rude" and "very cold."

"He pretty much yelled across the table, 'She is dead, dead, dead, dead, and we don't treat the dead,'" Sealey told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.'

As with most life and death issues,  this story is both a right to life issue and a choice issue. The parents of Jahi McMath have chosen to choose life for their little girl, at least through the holidays. If the story of Dr Durand's action and demeanor proves true, then this man has forgotten the words of the Hippocratic oath. These words are a pledge which he made to care for all patients, no matter what their status.

This is case will be as focal as the Terry Schiavo case from 1990 to 2005, or the Karen Ann Quinlan case from the early 1980s. In the Schiavo case, sadly, her parents and her husband were at odds with each other. The parents wanted her to remain on life support, while her husband wanted her to pass. This involved many legal challenges, including several cases brought before the Supreme Court. Even the federal government was involved, with the passage of emergency legislation by the Congress and signed by  President Bush.

In the end, Michael Schiavo won the "right to die" case, even though there was no health care proxy or DNR in place.

In the case of Karen Quinlan, after she fell into a persistent vegetative state in  early 1976 from alleged drug and alchohol abuse at a party, her parents wanted to remove her from life support. The hospital refused and this resulted in a legal battle which was decided by the New Jersey Supreme Court in the parents' favor. She was removed from life support in 1976 and finally died from pneumonia in 1985. 

These two cases are signature precedents which highlight the continuing battles between "right to life" and "right to die" issues in the US to this day. But, in the McMath case, the family is not making an unreasonable request to keep her daughter alive indefinitely. They have asked only that Jahi be kept on life support until early January. 

This is not so difficult for the hospital to agree to, especially since the family recognizes that indefinite life support will only hurt Jahi. The family is not looking to set some legal precedent, but only to be granted some compassion by those who have pledged to do so. So why can't this doctor or the hospital be a little more considerate of the emotional state of the family?

I am sure little Jahi will pass, once she is removed from life support. Why not grant this reasonable request to the family, so that they don't need to live the rest of their lives of the memory that their daughter died on or around Christmas. That is just horrible.

January will be here soon enough, don't you agree? May she rest in peace.

Compromise over Confrontation

In Thursday's Sacramento Bee:

'The Senate approved a bipartisan federal budget Wednesday that could lead to two rare years of fiscal stability for a government that’s lurched from showdown to showdown for two years.

The modest plan largely maintains the status quo, doing nothing to reduce the national debt or curb the growth of Medicare, Social Security or other entitlement programs that drive budget deficits.

Nor does it guarantee the government will not shut down again early next year, though that prospect now appears highly unlikely. The agreement sets spending levels, and it’s now up to appropriations committees to fill in details of how the money will be spent.

The Senate approved the budget 64-36, with all 53 Democrats voting yes along with two independents and nine Republicans. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill, passed overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives last week.

“For the first time in years, both parties in both houses of Congress have come together to pass a budget,” Obama said in a statement. “It’s a good first step away from the shortsighted, crisis-driven decision-making that has only served to act as a drag on our economy.”

The small-scale agreement will ease the automatic spending cuts, or sequester, through the end of fiscal 2015. Washington will spend $63 billion more for discretionary programs, or those subject to annual congressional spending adjustments.'

First of all, I do agree with Harry the Horse that this is an opportunity for both parties in both Houses to finally end the gridlock which has essentially killed our view and respect of the Congress, by the fact that the Congress has only a 9% approval rating in a recent Gallup poll. But, leave it to the Horse to ruin the good feeling of compromise by spewing the following: 

“Republicans have insisted on wasting 30 hours of the Senate’s time before allowing a final vote on this measure, even though they know it will pass with bipartisan support."

Uhh, since when in this country, Senator, was anyone not permitted to voice disagreement with any action you or any person thought they were right and the rest of us were wrong? Is free speech now censored in the Senate? That's why you, sir, are called the 'Dictator of the Senate' by me and others. And think about why I call you 'Harry the Horse'. I could have called you the generic term for donkey, but then I could have been censored.

Nobody will agree with every piece of this deal, which is why it is called a compromise. But, as with every compromise, everyone gets something, but no one will get everything. For example, Democrats complained that the agreement did not address the Dec. 28 expiration of emergency unemployment benefits. No action is now expected before that date.

One of the more immediate aftermaths of the budget deal could come quickly. Senators from both parties were not pleased that the bill reduces cost-of-living adjustments for younger military retirees. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., is pushing a plan to restore the adjustment, which would save $6 billion, by instead eliminating a tax break for offshore corporations.

Hey, Congress. Here is an idea! If all of you want to reinstate just these two pet projects, why not take the funds from, uhm, your pension funds? After all, why wouldn't the Members of Congress, and the President, want to be like the rest of us? No one in this country receives their entire salary as a pension. Or am I wrong? 

Finally, at least for the next two years, we won't be at the edge of the fiscal cliff every three months or so. The people are tired of the drama in Washington and the Congress knows it. For the present, the upcoming midterms won't be overshadowed by a quarterly budget crisis, and instead, real issues which affect real people will be debated and the resulting votes by the people will be a referendum of policies and practices on the Congress, and ultimately, the President's performances.  

Let's be thankful the Congress finally learned the meaning of compromise. 2014 will prove to be an interesting political horse race. 

Bets, anyone?

A Fool's Fool

In Wednesday PM USA Today:

"John Podesta was just named as a new senior-level adviser to President Obama last week, but he's already ruffling Republican feathers.

In a profile published late Tuesday night by Politico Magazine, Podesta is quoted comparing Republicans to the infamous cult led by Jim Jones, who was responsible for the 1978 cyanide poisoning of more than 900 of his followers in Guyana.

"They need to focus on executive action given that they are facing a second term against a cult worthy of Jonestown in charge of one of the houses of Congress," said Podesta of what Obama's White House team faces. Jonestown was the informal name of the settlement founded by Jones and his American followers.

On Wednesday, Podesta apologized for his impolitic comment.

"In an old interview, my snark got in front of my judgment. I apologize to Speaker Boehner, whom I have always respected," posted on his Twitter account.

The Jonestown incident marked one of the most horrific mass killings in American history."

Here is a tip for you, Mr Podesta: The next time you have an urge to say something stupid, instead, keep your trap shut. What you said was the most vile, insulting statement any official has ever said in the five years your boss has been running the show.

Say what you want about Barry, who is a very snarky man, and somewhat disingenuous. Even he has not said anything this absolutely revolting. 

And by the way, John-Boy, you should really know better, since even your old boss, who can be very politic in his speech, never, ever would say anything this mean about the loyal opposition. And, he had plenty of reason to during his time in office, with all the investigations done on him and/or his wife.

Take a lesson on class. You certainly need it, because obviously you have none. 

And the fact that you apologized to Speaker Boehner and the rest of the Republican membership in both Houses of the Congress, means you knew what you were going to say, (and don't say it just came from nowhere; we are not that stupid) because first things said generally come from the heart. 

Perhaps, before you do or say anything else which might hurt this already troubled Presidency, why not resign, because with fools like you around, Barry's time is going to just be more difficult. 

Cya, John. We hardly knew you. 

The Christmas Crunch

It's a week before Christmas and we are prepping like crazy to get it all done. Since Thanksgiving was so late this year, the "official" holiday shopping season didn't start until the 29th of November, although if you recall, many retailers tried to get the jump on "Black Friday" by opening on Thanksgiving night.

Anyway, suddenly we are at the precipice of the "Christmas Crunch", with only six shopping days left. This weekend, most of us will be baking cookies, gingerbread houses, Christmas stollen (again!) and other goodies for Christmas. Pumpkin, apple, mince and other pies need to be baked on Monday. In my family, we make a type of Sicilian pizza, cheeseless, called Sfncone. This is a bread crumb-topped pizza, with onions, garlic, tomatoes and other deliscioso stuff. This will be made on Monday for a part of our Christmas Eve dinner.

And, in between, we all will be fighting the malls, the stores to buy those last minute items for Suzie, Mary and Tony. We will be wrapping feverishly as we are cooking on Christmas Eve, setting the table, and making sure the house is perfect for our dinner guests later. Or, if we are the guests, we will be making certain we packed everything in the car to take to our host's home.

And, on top of all this activity, we will be checking the weather. My brother, who lives in Florida, has been doing that. How do I know? He sent me a screen shot of the seven day forecast from Tampa, which showed that it will be 83 on Saturday, the first day of winter, and 78 on Tuesday, Christmas Eve. What?!?

That's not Christmas weather, is it? To those of us here in the snow belt, Christmas weather is snow, or the threat of snow, in the 20s and 30s and a cold breeze in our faces. After all, how are Santa and the reindeer supposed to fly? They can't take the warmth of Florida, can they? 35 degrees for a reindeer is absolutely tropical in New England or Long Island on Christmas.

And how does the Norman Rockwell or Currier & Ives image work with sun block? Not to well for this northeasterner. And there aren't too many Douglas or Frasier firs which can be chopped down in Palm Beach or Key West, are there?

But, it really doesn't matter, does it? Christmas is the holiday about family, getting together to share a great time, whether you celebrate the generic Winter Solstice, the secular Santa Claus or the religious birth of Jesus Christ, for whom CHRISTmas is named.

So, whether you are in snowy Massachusetts or sunny California, Miami, Florida or Miami of Ohio, enjoy the crunch time we will now be living. Because at 9 pm Christmas night, as we kick back to watch yet another showing of A Christmas Story, we can say to our loved one, as Clark Griswold did, "I did it!"

Merry Christmas!

An Orwellian Nightmare

In Tuesday's WaPo:

'A federal judge ruled Monday that the National Security Agency’s daily collection of virtually all Americans’ phone records is almost certainly unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon found that a lawsuit by Larry Klayman, a conservative legal activist, has“demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success” on the basis of Fourth Amendment privacy protections against unreasonable searches.

Leon granted the request for an injunction that blocks the collection of phone data for Klayman and a co-plaintiff and orders the government to destroy any of their records that have been gathered. But the judge stayed action on his ruling pending a government appeal, recognizing in his 68-page opinion the “significant national security interests at stake in this case and the novelty of the constitutional issues.”

“I cannot imagine a more ‘indiscriminate’ and ‘arbitrary invasion’ than this systematic and high tech collection and retention of personal data on virtually every single citizen for purposes of querying and analyzing it without prior judicial approval,” said Leon, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. “Surely, such a program infringes on ‘that degree of privacy’ that the founders enshrined in the Fourth Amendment.”'

For those of us who supported the efforts, while not necessarily the means, of Edward Snowden for revealing the unconstitutional activities of our government through the NSA, there is a sense of vindication for our support of his whistleblowing. This doesn't mean that we agreed that he did that whistleblowing in the People's Republic and then, ran off to Russia for asylum. He should have done it, instead, in the United States to a Congressional committee. 

"I acted on my belief that the NSA’s mass surveillance programs would not withstand a constitutional challenge, and that the American public deserved a chance to see these issues determined by open courts,” said Snowden, who has received that temporary asylum in Russia, where he is seeking to avoid U.S. prosecution under the Espionage Act for leaking NSA documents. “Today, a secret program authorized by a secret court was, when exposed to the light of day, found to violate Americans’ rights. It is the first of many.”

I have a problem with the judge's stay of his own ruling, to allow the government to mount an appeal. Instead, the ruling should be in force until the appeal is brought, otherwise the government will drag its keister to bring its claims of necessity to the Court of Appeals. Meanwhile, the NSA can continue to carry on with its wonton metadata mining. And the Obama administration is using the argument that it is doing its job by keeping us safe from terrorism.

Actually, it isn't doing its job, because this action isn't keeping us free. That is the government's job. By violating the Fourth Amendment the way it has, it is slowly stripping us of our freedoms, which is as important as our security.

And to me, the FISA court must be closed down, because all it does is rubber stamp the administration's requests and evidence, without listening to opposing views. Kinda like the Nazi courts under the Nuremberg laws of the 1930's.

Some may think that last sentence is extreme, but remember that courts are charged with the balancing act of keeping us free and protecting our rights, while enforcing the laws the government makes. A tip in either direction would result in anarchy.

Finally, remember this: the government exists with the consent of the governed, not that the governed exists with the consent of the government.

George Orwell wrote a novel. We are living the reality. 

The Tech Summit?

In Tuesday's NY Times:

"WASHINGTON — President Obama will meet executives from leading technology companies like Google and Apple on Tuesday to discuss ways to improve the federal health care exchange website, the White House said. 

An Obama administration official said the meeting would cover capacity issues with the site, HealthCare.gov, which has not worked well since its Oct. 1 rollout. Many people face a Dec. 23 deadline to sign up in order to have insurance on Jan. 1. 

It was unclear what Mr. Obama might learn from technology company leaders who have had little to do with health care. But by meeting with some of the most important tech executives in the country, Mr. Obama might be able to reassure some Americans that he can fix the site."

So, the operative question is, "what took him so long?"

Since March 23, 2010, Barry knew that October 1, 2013 was eventually going to arrive. Didn't he think he should have convened this forum, oh, maybe on October 1, 2012? You know, perhaps a year before the anticipated start date?

Oops, I forgot. He was embroiled in a campaign (when isn't he? He does that so well) for his re-election. And it was closer at that point than what the real poll eventually revealed. 

But, I digress. Maybe, he could have convened this confab on January 1, 2013, since this was his "signature piece of legislation". Again, oops. He was on vacation (again) in Hawaii and of course, nothing is more important than vacation. And he was planning his second (and final) inauguration. That, too, was paramount. 

Maybe, June 1 would have been a good time. Oh, yeah. Planning the family summer vacation to Ireland (G8) and Africa (New Africa Open Door Policy). And don't forget about the trip to St Petersburg (G20).

Or September 1? Nope, again. Late summer vacation to Martha's Vineyard and a few rounds of golf. September 15? Come on, folks! Las Vegas awaited his presence. 

Or, September 25? No, no, no! Too busy  telling us (on that proverbial campaign trail again) that he guaranteed we would be able to sign on and order our health care like we were buying stuff on E-Bay or making vacation (something he seems to know about) reservations on Priceline or Travelocity. 

As late as September 30, he was out there (on the campaign trail) saying he couldn't wait until the next day so we could enjoy the panacea that awaited us.

And we know how that all worked out.

Now, finally, 2 1/2 months after the disaster first exploded all over Americans, he has now invited Tim Cook (Apple), Eric Schmidt (Google), Dick Costolo (Twitter), Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook) and others, to the White House to give their feedback and opinions how this nightmare could be fixed. 

Again, the question, "what took so long?" 

By the 3rd or 4th of October, this should have happened. Not six days before we are now (via extensions by executive order) required to enroll. And, by the way, wouldn't it make more sense to delay (executive order again, something he loves to issue) by at least six months and this time, beta site test the system before it goes live?

It's already a nightmare. Maybe now we could.... Oh, wait! Christmas is coming. Time for another vacation in Hawaii. We'll get back to this in January. 

Tick... Tick... Tick...

Stick A Fork In Us

From the late Sunday edition of the Boston Herald:

"WASHINGTON - Americans who already have health insurance are blaming President Barack Obama's health care overhaul for their rising premiums and deductibles, and overall 3 in 4 say the rollout of coverage for the uninsured has gone poorly.

An Associated Press-GfK poll finds that health care remains politically charged going into next year's congressional elections. Keeping the refurbished HealthCare.gov website running smoothly is just one of Obama's challenges, maybe not the biggest.

The poll found a striking level of unease about the law among people who have health insurance and aren't looking for any more government help. Those are the 85 percent of Americans who the White House says don't have to be worried about the president's historic push to expand coverage for the uninsured.

In the survey, nearly half of those with job-based or other private coverage say their policies will be changing next year - mostly for the worse. Nearly 4 in 5 (77 percent) blame the changes on the Affordable Care Act, even though the trend toward leaner coverage predates the law's passage.

Sixty-nine percent say their premiums will be going up, while 59 percent say annual deductibles or copayments are increasing."

A review of this poll indicates that the Obama administration is totally out of touch with the majority of the American people and continues to double-double down on a program that is proving to be more unpopular with each passing day. The fact that Barry and his crew have chosen not to listen to the people they work for, you know those people, US, has proven that he is either totally out of touch and blinded by his press coverage or he doesn't give a crap. In either case, this is dangerous for our country and its people. 

I understand that every President has an agenda which, based on his campaign and the resulting vote, he was elected to fulfill. In the case of the Affordable Care Act, in 2008, he made no secret of his desire to work toward enacting such a law. And during 2009, he had a Congress in place to go along with such a plan.

But unlike the Pantsuit's promise that "we have to pass it to see what's in it, and then we will like it", quite the opposite has been happening. The more we see what was in it, the more we hate it. This survey is the latest in so many polls which show we actually want it be suspended and, ultimately, repealed. 

I know we have had an election which has put the architect of this nightmare into office for a second time. But understand that this election wasn't a referendum of the "signature" piece of garbage we are now saddled with. Instead, Barry ran a better campaign than Mitt, especially during the last week to ten days. And for that, Obamacare was given the green light. It was politically astute by the Pantsuit/Horse-led Congress to push off its total enactment beyond the 2012 election. 

But now the negative consequences of this law is finally rearing its ugly head to the pain and dismay of so many people. We really don't like what we see. And Barry doesn't care. By the time his term ends in January, 2017, this disaster will be so entrenched in our lives, there will be no feasible way to extricate it. 

That, my friends, is his legacy: the transformation of our country from a free market economy to a socialist state. And, San Francisco, thanks to the uninformed and uneducated voter in your beautiful city, the Pantsuit is the legacy you saddled the rest of us with. 

 And for the people who have found their rates have gone up or their copays or deductibles have increased? Don't worry, the rest of us will soon be joining you. 

Sooner than we all think.

Coulter Sends A Message

I was listening to Fox and Friends on Sunday morning, as I was meandering through my newspaper apps, when Ann Coulter made a point about abortion and the alleged Republican War on Women. She was citing Pantsuit Nancy who was being asked about this issue on the network whose now fired host, Martin Bashir, was permitted to make terrible, vilifying comments about Sarah Palin, you know, a woman. A REPUBLICAN woman. And stayed on for three weeks after. You know the one, MSLSD, uh, MSDNC, no.. MSNBC.

Anyway, Ms Coulter sent an interesting and, actually, true message to the Pantsuit, the Horse, the Liar in Chief and all the others who use special code words, like choice, women's issues, women's health and so many others, just so they don't have to say "abortion". Because they know it's not politically helpful to use the word.

She said, "Half of  of all babies aborted would have been women. If Pelosi cared so much about women, being one herself, she would be against it."

You know? As simple as it may sound, she is right. And although, I admit that I have used the word "choice", after the Gosnell case, I have severely modified my position on this. While it is a woman's choice to make, the end of the first trimester is plenty of time to decide if she wants to keep the baby.

Even in cases of rape and incest, three months is enough time. However, in the case where a mother's life is in jeopardy, twenty weeks is enough time for that option. In three to four more weeks, the baby is capable of being viable in an incubated environment. Every effort should be made to get the pregnancy to that point. But if the choice is necessary to save the mother or the child, I certainly will choose the mother.

And certainly, I am not in favor of partial birth abortions. To me, that is murder.

If after the baby is born or even before if the baby is viable,  the mother can choose to keep the baby or put him or her up for adoption. But she can't be permitted to allow the doctor, midwife or other prenatal nurse, NP, PA, etc to terminate the baby's life. And if the medical person does commit that heinous of all crimes, then he or she must be prosecuted. It's not even open for discussion.

Nancy Pelosi should be ashamed of herself for trolling for votes this way. Intellectually, she knows she is wrong in her position, as a woman and as a mother and grandmother. She would be horrified if her children chose to abort her grandchildren, and she knows it. The Horse and the Liar are just buffoons spouting nonsense. Pay no attention to these uninformed fools.

Ann Coulter made a valid point. And I agree with her.

Filner the Predator

In Thursday's Sacramento Bee: 

"A day after he was sentenced to home confinement for the unwanted groping of women, former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has been sued by another city employee.

City parks employee Stacy McKenzie had already come forward with allegations against Filner, but on Wednesday she became the second city worker to file a lawsuit.

In allegations similar to those of nearly 20 other women, McKenzie says Filner grabbed her from behind, put her in a headlock and rubbed her breasts at a spring event at Mission Bay park."

It's amazing that this guy has the "Anthony Weiner Disease", you know the one, which whatever he does, doesn't work out too well. At all. No matter what.

He apparently never was taught as a kid that "God gave you two hands to keep to yourself." That's sad because now he will end up in court again to try and defend a totally indefensible position in this latest lawsuit. 

And sexual predator? That's Bob Filner. Just like Anthony Weiner, Bobby Boy wants you to think he is cured, learned his lesson, and won't be doing it anymore. At least, for now, Filner hasn't tried to reconcile himself with the public by running for another office, like Weiner did.

And if his defense is that it was Stacy McKenzie's fault, well, that's is just hubris. He should just plead "nolo contendere" and be done with it; accept his punishment and any fines, than to drag the city, and his family, through another embarrassing trial.

It didn't work out too well for Anthony Weiner and, certainly, it will not work out for Bob Filner, either. Maybe he needs to just cut his losses, take his medicine and start his amazingly light, three month home confinement without any further public humiliation for his family.

It's the least he could do. Oh yeah, and get some therapy, too.

Obamacare = ObamaFRAUD

In Monday's CBS News Report via Media Research Center (MRC-TV):

"Norah O'Donnell's 20-second news brief on Monday's CBS This Morning is the sole Big Three network mention so far of the Wall Street Journal's Sunday report about a "troubling element" of ObamaCare – exorbitant deductibles with the no-frills plans available on the health care exchanges.

O'Donnell zeroed in on the item by reporters Leslie Scism and Timothy W. Martin, who cited a new report that found that "the average individual deductible for...a bronze plan on the exchange...is $5,081 a year": [MP3 audioavailable here.

NORAH O'DONNELL: The Wall Street Journal says health insurance customers are finding another problem under ObamaCare. The new generation of policies have higher deductibles. Consumers have to pay more of their own money before insurance kicks in. The average deductible for the lowest level of insurance on HealthCare.gov is more than $5,000."

First of all, why isn't NBC or ABC reporting this latest farce in the (un)Affordable Care Act? Only Fox had been reporting almost daily on this debacle. Finally, CBS has joined the party. It doesn't matter why CBS decided to exercise journalistic integrity; it has, and perhaps now, the other networks will join in to report this fraud perpetrated on Americans. 

And, by the way, this information apparently has been known as far back as March, 2013 that the little guy was about to find himself ripped off, once again, by a lie sold by the Liar-in-Chief, and his stooges, Harry the Horse and Nancy Pantsuit. These names work because they act like characters from a Damon Runyon story. Which is really about the scum of the earth. 

The group most likely to be killed by the high cost of this nightmare are those individuals under 40, since, as a group, they are the most likely to be the healthiest. The old adage needs to be updated to read: if you have your health, you have nothing. Why? Because as a group, they have no job which can afford them the luxury (?) to pay the way for everyone else, while they also get to pay back the loans for an education which did not provide them the job they need to pay for the education they will not be using. (Note the unending circle). 

They also, if they are "lucky" enough to have qualified for the home loan they are attempting to pay, cannot afford that mortgage if they are going to be paying over $5,000 as an individual deductible or (gasp) $12,000 for a family plan. And then they get to pay the co-pay or, heaven forbid, unreimbursed, uncovered, out of pocket expenses. 

Not looking too good for you millennials, is it? But Barry still is trying to sell you a pile of dung that is starting to stink to high heaven. And sadly, you desperately want to believe him because if you doubt him now, you would have to admit he played you like a deck of marked cards, and only he knew the code.

It's time for all Americans to cut their losses and demand that this absolutely unfair, unconstitutional and illegal law, which strips us of our rights, be placed on hold so that in the next session of this Congress, it can be repealed and that Barry the Liar is compelled to sign the repeal under threat of impeachment. And if the Democrats refuse it go along, advise them that they will not be reelected in the years to come. Something can be said for job security. 

And remember, folks, we are beginning to hear rumblings that the costs under this piece of doggy do-do will skyrocket in 2015. And then what? Will we have to choose between our heath and eating? Is that a choice? Actually, that's socialism.

It's time for the fraud of Obamacare to go. What say you? I say, dump this dung before it gets any worse. 

Or soon, as George Patton is alleged to have said, "We will be shoveling $#!+ in Louisiana."

The Priest of The Year

From December 11, 2013 online TIME Magazine:

"The Vatican on Wednesday responded to TIME naming Pope Francis as Person of the Year for 2013 by saying the Holy See doesn’t seek “fame,” but that it’s a “positive sign” religious and moral values are being recognized.

“The decision didn’t come as a surprise given the great resonance and attention surrounding the election of Pope Francis right from the start of the new pontificate,”  Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, head of the Holy see’s Press Office, said in a statement. “The fact that one of the most prestigious awards to be attributed by the international press should go to someone who promotes spiritual, religious and moral values as well as call for peace and greater justice in an incisive manner is a positive sign. As for the Pope himself, he’s not someone who seeks fame and success, because he has put his life at the service of announcing the Gospel of the love of God for mankind. It is pleasing to the Pope that this service should appeal and give hope to women and men. And if this choice of ‘Person of the Year’ should mean that many people have understood this message – at least implicitly – the Pope is really happy about this.”

In announcing Pope Francis as TIME Person of the Year earlier Wednesday, TIME managing editor Nancy Gibbs wrote that Francis got the nod “for pulling the papacy out of the palace and into the streets, for committing the world’s largest church to confronting its deepest needs and for balancing judgment with mercy.”

For those of you who have followed me for a while, you know that I have written several commentaries on the papacy and this Pope, starting with with "Art, Life and the Papacy." I ended that commentary, written on March 13, with the following:

"My hope is that this conclave can find a Healer in its mist. There are several papile who could do the job. My hope that the elected man to take on this awesome task will be guided by St Luke and have the vision to heal a wonderful institution that is sick and ailing, and needs a healing hand to find its way back to good health.

Perhaps Taylor Caldwell and Dan Brown had the vision to see what was needed before anyone else. This time, perhaps, life WILL imitate art. We can only hope and pray."

Thus far, Francis has demonstrated that he is the modern day St Luke of Taylor Caldwell's "Great and Glorious Physician." He is the Healer the Church so desperately needed at this time. He has reached out to so many excluded groups, including, gays and lesbians, divorced Catholics, and others.

Nine months, as of this Friday, Francis has shown a gift so rare in the modern Catholic Church: the ability to be brave enough to say: "Who am I to judge?" For Catholics, Francis has made a huge leap of faith to show the values of the Church need to be improved upon and even changed. 

As a "Cafeteria Catholic" who has personal, doctrinal issues with the Church, I welcome the steps Francis has made thus far. The major issues, birth control, celibacy, divorce, etc, still need to be addressed, but as an old Chinese saying goes, "The journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step."

Folks, this Pope has taken several steps already and for that, Francis certainly deserves to be Time's Person of the Year. Deus benedicte! God bless!

A School District's Folly

In Wednesday's USA Today:

"DENVER (AP) — The suspension of a 6-year-old boy for kissing a girl at school is raising questions about whether the peck should be considered sexual harassment. 

The boy's mother said officials at Lincoln School of Science and Technology in Canon City, a southern Colorado city of 16,000, are over-reacting. Jennifer Saunders said her son was suspended once before for kissing the girl and had other disciplinary problems, and she was surprised to find out that he would be forced out of school again for several days.

First grader Hunter Yelton told KRDO-TV that he has a crush on a girl at school and she likes him back.

"It was during class, yeah. We were doing reading group, and I leaned over and kissed her on the hand. That's what happened," he said.

Saunders said she saw nothing wrong with her son's display of affection. She said she punished him for other problems in school, including rough-housing. She was shocked when the school's principal brought up the term "sexual harassment" during a meeting."

The school and the district have shown themselves to be more than a bit overbearing. Punishing a six year old and ruining his record with the notation of sexual harassment will follow him right through his entire academic career. Who, really, is the adult in the room?

Even the parents of the girl didn't complain that this happened. 

Certainly, if the boy were 16, then this would be a justifiable punishment, since a 16 year old understands the significance of an unwanted advance. But, six? Is the district afraid that it may be sued by the girl's parents? Did anyone from the school or the district even speak to the girl's parents about their feelings on this? I bet not. 

And since when did a school district know better than a parent what is right or wrong for his or her child? Again, if the girl's parents addressed it with the boy's parents, or not, it is up to the parents to resolve it. Not the district.

Yes, I understand schools have "zero tolerance" policies. But would that not be for gun and knife possession, fighting and bullying, or other violent, unacceptable behavior? Since when is kissing a kid's hand by another kid violent or unacceptable? This takes the policy to the extreme. 

Here is a tip for schools and districts: How about getting back to the business of teaching our children. You spend so much time prepping them for tests, yet they have learned nothing to prepare them for life. And, by the way, how about paying more attention to what teachers are doing in the classroom by educating the kids, rather than worrying if a little boy kisses a little girl's hand. 

You are not the parent or babysitter. Stop acting like one. 

A Bold Step for Marijuana

In Wednesday's LA Times:

"In a bold and controversial move, Uruguay on Tuesday became the first country to legalize marijuana and make it a farm-to-table state business.

President Jose Mujica championed the bill that narrowly passed the Chamber of Senators, arguing that "the repressive path has failed" to discourage drug use. Despite penalties for buying or selling marijuana, its consumption has grown and served to enrich the criminals who control illegal trade, he said.

"We've given this market as a gift to the drug traffickers, and that is more destructive socially than the drug itself, because it rots the whole of society," the president told Argentina's Telam news agency [link in Spanish].
By legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana production and sales, Uruguay is moving the drug's use out of the shadows and helping social and health professionals better observe and respond to those who develop addictions, Mujica told lawmakers and media."

I know Uruguay is not the United States, or even Argentina or Brazil, but finally, FINALLY, an entire country in the Western Hemisphere has taken action to step into the 21st century with regard to the treatment of marijuana and the maturity of people to be responsible. After all, most people know how to treat alcohol, so why would they not treat marijuana similarly?

It appears that most governments are either afraid or worse, think they know better, to trust its citizens with the judgement and capability to decide what's best for oneself. Is it because the government, all governments, need to use this as a control issue?

Those of you who have read prior commentaries of mine on recreational and medical marijuana know that I absolutely agree that marijuana should be legalized for medicinal purposes, no more questions asked. I have been ambivalent as this issue relates to recreational use, but certainly by legalizing it, this actually would benefit the coffers of the country. And cut down illegal drug trafficking in the process. 

The President of Uruguay understands this and encouraged his Senators to pass this law which will be a huge boon to Uruguay's treasury by realizing huge returns of tax dollars. In addition, law enforcement will be able to concentrate on real illegal activity, rather than chasing down the local dealer who sells small amounts of pot to, in some cases, those who actually need it for pain relief, chemo discomfort, and other serious and helpful medicinal reasons. 

40% of all states in the US recognize the future as it relates to medicinal marijuana and two states have recognized that they will soon have no budget issues at all. Uruguay will be the "test case" on how this plays out on a national level. 

Good luck, President Mujica. This American, at least, supports you in this venture and hopes for an unqualified success in your new law. 

Then, finally, the rest of the world will learn what your forward-thinking really means for all of us.  

Take a Chill Pill?

So. First, we were told "if you like your plan, you can keep your plan." Naaaahhhh.

Then, we were told "if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor." Naaaahhhh, again.

Now, we find out from Dr Paul Gottlieb, former head of CMS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that if you like your drugs, well, that's great, but we won't be covered for many of them.

WHAT?????

That's right, folks. Under the panacea of the PPACA, the Patient Protection and (un)Affordable Care Act, many drugs which are used to help patients with AIDS, cancer, certain coronary and cholesterol drugs, pain meds, etc, will no longer be covered, AND, out of pocket expenses will not be counted towards any deductible, co-pay or other cost-offset outlay.

That's right. To paraphrase the soup Nazi, "no insurance for you!"

How are you liking it now?

Hey, Nancy, Harry and Barry... We are liking it less and less as we learn more and more what's in it. It is becoming increasingly painful to the average American, that he and she have become bruised, abused and tattooed by all the horrible pieces of a law that not one Democrat Senator had a pair to say, "Wait, we are screwing the American people."

If I am wrong, please, PLEASE, give me one name of the Democrat Senator who voted against this absolute piece of garbage in 2010 that is on course to DESTROY quality health care in this country. If you can provide me that name, I will write an apology with equal fervor and will stop writing negative commentaries about this subject.

So, no? Can't come up with the name? I couldn't either. And, while I admit 34 Democrat Representatives voted against the law, they are but lost voices in the wilderness of their party.

Be that as it may, the bottom line is that as more information is scoped out and released, we find it continues to be the most horrible law ever conceived by those who we elected to represent us. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy, doesn't it? No? Me, either.

And sadly, there is no pill for that. At least, not one that will be covered.

Brown, Boeing and Unions

In late Monday Sac Bee:

"California will be among states submitting bids to Boeing this week in an effort to land a production facility for the company's newest commercial jetliner.

An official for Gov. Jerry Brown's Office of Business and Economic Development, or GO-Biz, confirmed Monday that California will submit a proposal to Boeing ahead of the company's Tuesday deadline for states to submit proposals to host production of the 777X.

GO-Biz declined to say what incentives, if any, are included in the proposal, though Brown has significant latitude to negotiate."

He certainly has latitude in offering tax incentives to Boeing, or any company which qualifies under the state's restructured enterprise zone. The Governor is permitted to offer tax incentives, up to $30 million this year, to lure business via the state.

The tax credits, administered under a newly-formed California Competes Tax Committee, can increase to $150 million next budget year and $200 million annually in subsequent years. 

This would be a boon to California's economy, since in 2015, Boeing is expected to shut down production on the C-17, a military plane. Presently, Boeing employs 20,000 people in California, 3,000 of whom work in the Long Beach facility on the C-17. 

California is one of several states courting Boeing after the aerospace giant, mired in a labor dispute in Washington, began searching for another site to build the 777X. The company has billed the plane as its largest and most fuel efficient commercial aircraft.

Since California is not a "right to work" state and instead, is a forced union state, this will possibly hurt California's chances to land such a lucrative opportunity to help the unemployed status in the state. 

While Washington state is also a forced union state, Boeing, in recent years, has branched into states where right to work is the law and the opportunity to create jobs which are non-union exist. Certainly, the employees in those states are happy to have jobs, regardless of union status.

Governor Brown understands the uphill battle he and the state face to keep existing jobs in the state and to create more jobs to help his ailing economy. If Boeing decides to pull the remaining jobs and bring them to South Carolina or elsewhere, this could be the beginning of a real depressed job market in California. And he knows it. 

The tax credits may help, but an entire revamping of the state's labor laws may be in the offing. Meanwhile, Boeing looks.  

8 October 1940 - 8 December 1980

33 years ago, yesterday, the talent and the genius was murdered in a courtyard across the street from the place named for a song which probably was in the top five of all the songs this genius wrote. But, sadly, he had to die for that part of Central Park in New York City to be brought to life.

While he was not an elected political figure or leader, he was, nevertheless, a man of very deep political convictions. He took on the United States government which fought to deport him for a minor marijuana charge back in England. And he won. Afterward, he filed to become a citizen which did not want him. Sadly, he died before he was naturalized.

As the conscience of a generation, he fought for the rights of minorities, for the disadvantaged and for the oppressed. Few people born in the 20th century didn't have an opinion about this man. Yet, he was 23 before virtually anyone in this country ever heard of him.

He managed to cause a stir with his quick brain and his quicker wit. He managed in 1966, for example, to have the audacity to compare him and his band mates to Jesus Christ. And of course, that caused many "evangelists" to demand that his records be burned or broken in order to let this guy know his comments were not welcomed. In fact, as anyone who read or listened to the entire quote, he was comparing the popularity of his group by so many in his lifetime to the fact that few knew Jesus in his.

Yes, he never denied that he tried drugs but he never actually tried to have others do the same. Yes, he made spiritual choices for himself but again, did not try to convert anyone else either. And yes, he was unfaithful to his first wife, subsequently his second, and again, felt it was his business alone.

So, through the remainder of the 60s and up until 1975, he continued to perform and record new music for our enjoyment and pleasure. He always seemed to be telling us something new about his feelings and wanted us to understand his reason or purpose of the message he was sending us.

And then, suddenly, he vanished for five years. No music, no statement, no public appearance to perform. Yes, he could be seen walking around the neighborhood in which he lived. I can certainly tell you that I met him walking along West 72 Street, when I worked in the Bank on the next block, pushing a stroller with his toddler who will soon be 40 years old. I found him to be friendly enough, but guarded his privacy. And he really didn't want to talk about his prior life. It was, after all, the past and he was living in the present, looking toward the future.

Then, just about two months before he was killed, he released an album called Double Fantasy, which soared to the top of the charts even though half the songs were garbage. But, the songs that did matter told a story of what he had been doing for the last few years: Starting Over, Beautiful Boy, Watching the Wheels, Woman.

And then, a mad man who tried to mirror John Lennon's life, snuffed it out by shooting him in the back. Suddenly, the genius was dead, never to be heard from again. Until 1995, through the wonder of digital technology, when two songs were released and performed by him and his band mates. Free As a Bird and Real Love went right to the top when they were released. He would have been pleased.

Do you remember where you were when you heard the news "about a lucky man who made the grade?" I do. And the next day, and for days after, you couldn't walk passed his building, on the corner of Central Park West and West 72 Street amid the thousands of mourners who grieved day and night until Sunday, the 14th, when a vigil was held in the Park he held so dear.

"Imagine all the people, living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us and the world will live as one."