The Super Bowl vs State of the Union

Two topics dominate the news this week: the Super Bowl and the president’s annual State of the Union address.

The Super Bowl is expected to draw some 111 million viewers; The State of the Union address was viewed by some 30 million. The Super Bowl has no real impact on our lives while the state of our union is of upmost important to every citizen. So why the disparity?

It’s simple: The Super Bowl means something to the teams involved and to their respective fans. There will be an end result: a winner and a loser. The State of the Union address and the response from the Republican Party, which controls the House of Representatives, is mere rhetoric, empty words. To borrow from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, they are full of “sound and furry, signifying nothing.” Continue reading “The Super Bowl vs State of the Union” →

The Amateur

There is a place for amateurs. However, there are times when you definitely need a professional. Most people would never call an amateur to put in a driveway or install a new roof. You wouldn’t want an amateur to build your house or do the wiring. You wouldn’t want an amateur to do your dental work or perform heart surgery. Let’s face it. Most people wouldn’t let an amateur cut their hair or do their nails.

Likewise, if you own a business, you wouldn’t hire amateurs to design your products, construct you assembly lines, do your accounting or manage your employees. If you need someone to run that business, you would hire the most experienced person with the best track record you can afford.

Then why, oh why, would anyone consider hiring an amateur to manage the largest business in the world, the United States Government? Continue reading “The Amateur” →

NFL Mimics ObamaCare (Shaking Down the Rookies)

When I first saw the headline “Miami Dolphin Players forcing Rookies to buy them Expensive Items,” I thought it was some cleaver columnist making a comparison to ObamaCare. It had to be a parody!

I spent 17 years as a sportscaster, 10 of them in Miami. During my tenure, I watched Don Shula and Bobby Beathard build the 1972 “perfect team.”

I — or one of my colleagues — was there for every practice. I ate lunch with the team. I was there for every game. I knew each player personally.

I know how hard it is to make a team and even harder to remain on one. Continue reading “NFL Mimics ObamaCare (Shaking Down the Rookies)” →

Obamacare Challenge: Convincing the Invincibles

Young adults have been the most enthusiastic Obama supporters. They identify with his youthful appearance. They like his personality, his style and his confidence. They liked his catchy campaign slogan: “hope and change.” After all, everyone needs hope. As for the change, few could tell you what that change actually meant, but what the heck. It didn’t seem to matter.

In 2008, Generation Y turned out in droves to elect this charismatic man president and again, in 2012, though in somewhat lessor numbers.

Therefore, Obama just assumed he could lead these Millennials down the garden path to his health care exchanges. It was, in fact, a given that our young people would sign up for Obamacare. It will not work without their participation. They must participate or else . . . Or else what? Continue reading “Obamacare Challenge: Convincing the Invincibles” →

Washington Redskins: What’s in a Name?

The language police have been out in force in recent months. The target du jour is the NFL team that resides in the nation’s capitol. They are trying to force the owner of that illustrious franchise to ditch the team’s 80-year-old mascot.

Some, a precious few as it turns out, believe the word “Redskins” to be a slur.

Barack Obama, who never misses an opportunity to right every perceived racial wrong, didn’t help by wading into the matter recently and ginning up the controversy.

Let’s face it. Some people with way too much time on their hands can get offended by a ham sandwich! The fact that the overwhelming majority of Native Americas aren’t offended by the term, and are proud that this team chose to highlight the positive attributes of their heritage, ought to count for something.

Such was the case when a few uptight feminists, with their panties in a twist, began insisting we rid our speech of words like “Miss, Mrs., Mistress, Madam,” “lady” and “ma’ am” as in “Yes ma’ am.” What generally is considered to be polite forms of address is offensive to the NOW crowd. They want to be referred to as “women” or individually as a “woman” and will accept no substitutes. Continue reading “Washington Redskins: What’s in a Name?” →

Cruzing for a Bruising

Some things are worth fighting for. Ted Cruz believes that defunding Obamacare is one of those things and he is willing to use every means available to make that happen.

Some people say his 21-hour talkathon on the Senate floor was tantamount to trashing at windmills. I say he accomplished his purpose. He not only put that issue front and center, he exposed the leaders of his party as weak-kneed scaredy cats.

If you go into a fight you have to be willing to get your nose bloodied to win. Has Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell ever put up his dukes? He is too busy playing footsie with Democrat Leader Harry Reid to fight for anything.

Make no mistake: McConnell has the power to make Reid agree to allow a clean up-or- down vote on the Continuing Resolution passed by the House that would fund the government sans Obamacare by getting 41 Republicans to back a filibuster. However, the lily-livered McConnell and his lieutenant, John Cornyn, are working with Reid to strip the bill of that requirement. Continue reading “Cruzing for a Bruising” →

Sending Assad to Bed without Supper

Obama’s message to Assad is a classic.

It is tantamount to a mom who lacks the intestinal fortitude to discipline a naughty child. Instead of simply taking care of a problem when it happens, she stamps her foot and tells her youngster, “When your dad get’s home, he is going o punish you!”

For the first time in his four plus years as president, Obama has suddenly gone all constitutional on us.

He drew a red line on the use of chemical weapons for Syria’s dictator Bashar Assad again, and again. In fact, there is evidence that this red line has been crossed as many as 14 times.

After losing face on the world stage, Obama beat his chest and announced that he is finally going to “punish” Assad with the help of some of our allies. Our best friends turned their backs on him and refused to participate (another embarrassment). There was more chest pounding as our warships moved into position. Then, Obama suddenly calls a halt to the operation in order to ask permission from Congress. Obama simply did not have the stomach to go it alone.

In this case, Obama is the mom (the one in the frilly undershorts) and Congress is the dad. Continue reading “Sending Assad to Bed without Supper” →

Bring back the Poorhouse

Some of you are old enough to remember an admonition from your parents to work hard and save a portion of what you earn so that “you don’t wind up in the poorhouse.” That was a fate worse than death to my father’s generation because it signified abject failure, loss of pride and a complete dependence on welfare, most likely for the remainder of one’s life.

The poorhouse, or more commonly the poor farm, was a place of last resort for those who could not support themselves in the 19th and early 20th century. Residents were required to work, to the extent they were able, in order to provide for their daily needs. Accommodations were sparse and pleasures were few.

Most of our parents and grandparents of that era didn’t have big houses or drive fancy cars, but they had good-sized savings accounts. Why? When hard times come — and they invariably do — our folks didn’t want to end up in the poorhouse. Continue reading “Bring back the Poorhouse” →

Why Americans have no confidence in Republicans

Conversation overheard on a street near the nation’s Capitol building.

Person 1: (In a panic) What was that loud boom? Was it an earthquake? A sonic boom? Are we under attack? Where is the nearest fallout shelter?

Person 2: Don’t worry. It’s just the sound of Republicans caving. You’ll get used to it after a while. It occurs quite often, especially around this time of year. Relax.

Yes, it’s an all too familiar sound in Washington, D.C. No one is surprised by it.

You may not be able to hear the boom or feel the tremors emanating from Washington, D.C. from your spot hinter lands, but the results are felt by every American: a sluggish economy, joblessness, higher prices, stagnant wages, vacant buildings and ailing businesses. Continue reading “Why Americans have no confidence in Republicans” →

Please Spy on Me

As a U. S. citizen, I hope my government is spying on me if . . .

I am phoned by known or suspected terrorists.
I visit bomb making sites on the internet.
I make contact with members of al Qaeda
I attend a radical mosque.
I order the makings for a suicide vest.
I have large amounts of unexplained cash funneled into my bank account.
I frequent jihadist websites.
all my emails end with “death to America.” Continue reading “Please Spy on Me” →