House Passes New Stimulus, er Jobs Bill

The House narrowly passed a new stimulus package, er jobs bill that will cost tax payers an additional $116 billion. This package was scaled down from an original $200 billion, and comes on the back of last year's $800 billion stimulus package that didn't quite turn out as planned.

Here's a thought....repeal Obamacare and businesses won't have the dis-incentive to hire any more. Another thought...forget about cap and trade legislation for now. Another thought, extend the Bush tax cuts for another decade.

If you want this economy to get moving, you have to put more money into the pockets of Americans. You have to give businesses the incentive to hire. Many are sitting on the sidelines, waiting to see what the ramifications of Obamacare and cap and trade will be.

Tax cuts did not cause these deficits. Too much government spending is what caused them. Whether it was on the Iraq war, other needless programs, the TARP, auto bailouts, stimulus package, Medicare and Social Security waste, etc., it was government spending.

Wasteful government spending is far worse than most people even know about. In my business, I've seen first hand how the government pisses away our money through inefficiency and bureaucracy. Near where I live, the government wanted to build a new federal building. But, they could never figure out where to build it, and they could not come to an agreement with the local government. Over time, the government spent millions on consultants such as myself. My business benefited from that waste temporarily, but it was a drop in the bucket compared to what the government spent on that project alone. A lot of the waste was a result of lack of common sense among the decision makers. It was truly scary. It has taken six years for the government to choose a site, one that had been presented to them from the beginning.

So, here we are, faced with a huge government deficit, high unemployment, and the prospect of higher taxes down the road. Do you think that is a recipe for a strong economy?

Dennis Hopper

I just read that Dennis Hopper passed away after battling prostate cancer for a year. In the article, it mentioned that Hopper just received his star on the Hollywood walk of fame in March. Are you kidding me? With all the other idiots that received their star before this, this genius of an actor only received his in March?

Here is my theory. While he actually did mention supporting Barack Obama in 2008, Dennis Hopper was a lifelong Republican who voted for both Bush's. I mean, P. Diddy got his star in 2008! P. Diddy? Compared to Hopper, what the hell did he do?

Ok, this theory is far-fetched, since I did see that Chuck Norris got his star a while back, and deservedly so. But, why on earth did it take so long for Hopper to get this recognition? Clearly one of the best actors of his generation. I guess they figured they would give it to him before he passed. If I was Hopper, I would have stood right there and pissed on the sidewalk.

Obama, Sestak, Emanuel, Clinton: Politics As Usual

Yesterday, it was reported that Congressman Joe Sestak was offered a non-salaried advisory position on some board by former President Bill Clinton so that he would not run in the Democratic primary for Senate against Arlen Specter. Rahm Emanuel apparently was the guy who arranged for his former boss Clinton to make the call. Obama had wooed Specter to switch parties and as a favor, tried to clear the primary field for Specter. Obviously, it didn't work.

So what does all this mean? In my view, not a lot as far as the legal rumblings. Republicans will just use this to paint Obama in a negative way, and as usual, they will go over the top to do it by calling for investigations. Their zeal in trying to get an investigation will only hurt them in the long run.

But, here is my perspective. Obama was elected primarily because he was a great speaker and communicator who ran on the promise of change. He would change the way business was handled in Washington. In my view, he is one of the greatest con men of all time. I personally could see right through his schtick, but most people were so weary of Bush that they were willing to believe this guy. I voted for McCain in spite of his short comings because I could see that Obama was not who he said he was.

I will just give one example of how obvious it was to me that Obama would say anything to get elected. Jeremiah Wright. As much of a lightening rod as that guy is, how could Obama never have heard any anti-American words in any sermon by Jeremiah Wright if he was attending that man's church for what, 20 years? Then, as soon as Wright became an inconvenience, he threw him under the bus.

Obama attended Wright's church because that is where many of the Chicago political players were going. Obama has always done what he had to do to advance his career, and this to play the system for all it is worth.

This is what people began to realize last year. Obama is not who they thought he was. Obama has a vision for America that most people do not share. And now, it is revealed that he is just another politician, another political con man that will say anything to get elected.

Again, as Sarah Palin has asked, "how's that hopey changey thing doin' for ya?"

Article by Mark Steyn

If there is one article you read this weekend, read this one at the link below. I definitely see eye to eye with the author, Mark Steyn.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/05/27/were-too-broke-to-be-this-stupid/

He made some interesting observations that I found quite humorous. One, Michelle Obama was helping out at a soup kitchen, and those in line are snapping photos of her with their cell phones. Huh? Talk about misplaced priorities.

Another, in the UK, one out of every six families has no employed members. One out of six! They are simply living off the system.

Sooner or later the producers are gonna have no incentive to produce.

Taxes, where will it all end?

Ok, so this morning I read in my local paper that local taxpayers in PA will be on the hook for increased taxes from the school districts. Why? Because the school districts do not have enough money to contribute to the Public School Employees Retirement System.

Yeah, you got that right. Our taxes are going up so we can pay for the retirement of someone who is already retired!

Here in PA, teachers contribute 7% of their paycheck to the retirement system, and the school districts must come up with the rest of the funding, because of some crazy state law. And, because of the weak performance in the stock market over the last ten years, the retirement system has not been making any money on its investments. Oh, by the way, the money is "professionally" managed by people making a couple hundred thousand dollars per year.

In one local school district, the school real estate tax will rise nearly 10% in the coming year, because it is a small district where there is no growth in population.

I'm sorry, but I am tired of how we are all forced to take care of the teachers, when our education system sucks! From my own experience, all I ever see is that they are more concerned with protecting their own rather than with the students. Every year we see teacher strikes during the school year so they can squeeze even more money out of the tax payers. Now, they want us to fork over even more money so they can have a more enjoyable retirement?

Obama: I take full responsibility, but...

So, President Obama holds his first news conference since July to essentially address the Gulf oil disaster. He is visiting Louisiana today...nearly six weeks after the explosion. He holds the conference just a couple days after James Carville rips him for inaction.

Obama said he takes full responsibility for what is going on there, but that was at the end of the news conference, after he had already blamed BP, and of course the previous administration for collaborating with the oil companies.

So, only after weeks of staying mum, Obama finally shows up. Instead of getting out front on the issue, he stayed detached, as he always does. When he was running for President, voters admired his cool while the financial crisis unfolded, and that is what got him elected. Now, this cool is generally viewed as detachment from the concerns of every day Americans. Instead of paying attention to the voters about their job concerns and keeping Americans safe, Obama and his administration have been more concerned with ramming through a new healthcare entitlement, and ignoring the threat that Islamic jihadists continue to present.

So, let's see where we are at since Obama took office... unemployment is 9.9%, still way above where he said it would be if only Congress would pass the stimulus. We've had three terrorist attacks on U.S. soil...two failures and one success in Ft. Hood. Iran is still enriching uranium and has not suffered any new sanctions. Our national debt is rising at an annual rate more than double the worst year of the Bush administration. We have the worst oil spill in U.S. history. And we still have extreme partisanship in Washington, after Obama claimed he would be a uniter during the election.

Yeah, he has had a lot on his plate. But, he has seemed more concerned with developing a "new international order" as he said in his recent West Point speech, and pushing America toward a European style social state. Now that Europe is imploding, we all know we don't want that. Eighteen months after taking office, we still hear about the "problems we inherited." It's painfully obvious to me that this guy is no leader.

Apple Passes Microsoft

Yesterday, Apple passed Microsoft in terms of its market capitalization, with its shares trading over $240, while Microsoft shares are stuck at about $25. Microsoft stock has gone nowhere in 10 years in spite of the fact it sits on an enormous pile of cash. However, it seems to get beat by Apple at every new technological turn.

This a perfect example of why it is a bad strategy to invest in a company that "seems" to be undervalued compared to a similar company. Apple has proven to be far more innovative, and its products are always in demand. Microsoft hasn't been able to get it right with its operating system upgrades in years, and its attempts to compete with the I-Pod and I-Phone have been futile.

Most investors have a tough time investing in a stock that is trading higher. However, you must adopt the attitude that the stock is trading higher for a reason. Trying to invest in a dog like Microsoft never seems to work.

Right Wingers trivial fussing about Obama

Ok, time to take aim at the right wing nut jobs. As anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of the President. At the same time, I pretty much get offended by some of the right wing nut jobs who have nothing to do but fuss and whine about Obama. They will never give him credit for anything. That is their perogative, but it doesn't do anyone any good.

This week they are fussing about President Obama's plans to head to Chicago for Memorial Day rather than attend the traditional wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery. That apparently is a diss to the soldiers of America. Instead, Obama will be attending a ceremony closer to home at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Illinois.

This why I basically hate both extremes of both major political parties. I also see that Karl Rove is harping on the Joe Sestak/White House job offer so you don't run for Senator "scandal." There is no scandal here. Sure, a law may have been broken if the White House did indeed offer Sestak a job in return for bowing out of the election. Is it unseemly? Not sure. Let's face it...politicians try to play favorites all the time, and this occurs in Corporate America and throughout life in America in general. I see no scandal here. Sestak is an honorable man who served his country in the Navy. I don't agree with his politics, but I wish we had more people like him in Washington.

So Right Wing Nut Jobs, please find other things to worry about. At this point, it is apparent that the Republicans have NOT come up with a decent plan to turn things around here in America. We know the Democrats have already proven to be completely incapable of doing anything right too. Doesn't make me very confident going forward.

Check out the article below:

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/26/rightwing-memorial-day-attack-on-obama/

NJ Governor Christie Takes on the Teachers

I just had a chance to view NJ Governor Christie get heckled by a town meeting by a teacher, who feels she is under paid. His reply? "You don't have to do it." And that is absolutely correct!

If you haven't heard, New Jersey has the biggest budget deficit of any state in the country compared to its budget. New Jersey residents are already among the most heavily taxed. The teachers unions are whining about not getting their annual pay raises. While the rest of the state lost over 100,000 jobs in the recession, New Jersey added 11,000 teachers. They don't want a freeze on pay increases (even though inflation is non-existent) and they want their big benefits and pensions.

Yet, in spite of that, in response to Governor Christie's reply, the teacher went on to say that teachers teach because they love to. Well, unlike the private sector, teacher jobs are guarded zealously. How often do you hear of a teacher being fired based on incompetence?

Another heckler fussed about funds for a library being cut. Christie's reply? "Unfortunately, unlike the Federal government, we are unable to print money."

I admire the man. We need more people like Governor Christie as our governors and in Congress. The man has balls to take on the establishment, and he cares less about getting re-elected. He just wants to do the right thing and is not playing political games or trying to be partisan.

Unlike the guy currently occupying the White House.

Check out the video below...

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/05/26/gov_christie_to_angry_woman_on_pay_teachers_go_into_it_knowing_the_pay_scale.html

Obama Hits New Low in Rasmussen Poll

President Obama's poll numbers are tumbling, reaching a new low in the latest Rasmussen poll, which gives the President approval rating of 42% while 56% disapprove of the President. That is the lowest rating for Obama in the Rasmussen poll since he took office. With the stock market tumbling and oil continuing to leak in the Gulf of Mexico, along with the Joe Sestak job offer controversy, it is no wonder. Democrats will surely be getting nervous if these numbers don't show improvement by late summer.

Finally, a commentary about the forgotten BP Oil Rig Workers

Finally, someone else has stood up for the forgotten BP Oil rig workers who died. Seems like the greens and conservationists never can remember the people who actually have lost their lives in accidents like this. Read the article below...



http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/relatives-of-dead-deepwater-horizon-oil-rig-workers-feel-forgotten-in-the-spill/19488058?icid=main|htmlws-main-w|dl1|link1|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fnation%2Farticle%2Frelatives-of-dead-deepwater-horizon-oil-rig-workers-feel-forgotten-in-the-spill%2F19488

U.S. Stocks Set to Plunge at Open on Tuesday

U.S. stock markets are indicated over 2% lower this morning on concerns that North Korea is flexing its muscles in the east and fears that Europe is not getting its financial house in order. While North Korea is likely just playing games again, the 3-month LIBOR has been spiking higher in the last couple weeks, and is presently trading at 13 month highs. The S&P 500 looks to be breaking through more important levels on the downside this morning, which suggests there is more downside to come.

So, is this a correction in a new bull market dating to last year, or the resumption of a secular Bear Market that began in 2000? I believe it is the latter, which does not bode well for the economy.

Now, here we are, over 18 months removed from the Fall of 2008 when the credit crisis came to a head the first time. The U.S. government has thrown trillions of dollars at the economy in the form of the TARP, the stimulus package and the real estate market, and yet the problems have not been solved. The European banking system is in crisis, and the U.S. banking system is still not lending enough money. The stimuls program has been a complete bust in my view.

Where does this leave us? There are mountains of government debt. There are mountains of personal debt. And there are legions of unemployed people across the globe. I think it is quite safe to say that throwing good money after bad was a bad idea. We should have just let a few of these big banks fail and suffer what short term pain we needed to. Now, we are looking at a prolonged period of economic stagnation similar to the 1930s and 1970s.

It will take a bold new vision similar to Ronald Reagan's to take us back to our economic potential. The current powers that be were too concerned with their legacies, and now we are stuck with a huge new healthcare entitlement on top of a weak economy. The only way to work our way out of this mess is to cut personal and business taxes, AND cut government spending. Government needs to get out of the way and let the private sector lead us to recovery. Government needs to get SMARTER not BIGGER!



Scott Cole

Philadelphia Flyers in Stanley Cup Finals!

The Philadelphia Flyers beat Montreal 4-2 tonight to earn their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals since 1997. They will face the Chicago Blackhawks, with game 1 coming Saturday night. Go Flyers!

Thoughts on Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico

I just read an article by Peter Daou at Huffington Post regarding America's reaction to the Gulf oil spill. He generally characterizes all conservatives as greedy and anti-green. This is the kind of crap that just infuriates me, and makes politics even more divisive and partisan.

I agree that this disaster is disturbing, and it seems like more can be done to plug the leak, but what do us normal folks really know about such things? Drilling for oil deep under the ocean is a complicated and complex process. Does BP and any other oil company want to make a profit from it? Sure they do. But, don't tell me they didn't have to jump through some serious hoops to have the opportunity to drill in that field. And don't tell me they don't give a damn about the workers who were killed in that accident. Again, there is no mention of them in Dou's article.

You can bet that BP's scientists and engineers are frantically working on the problem. Overreacting on the left to completely shut down all drilling is not going to help the situation. We have an energy issue in this country, and politics have played a role in that over the years, and you can bet that it hasn't just been Republicans receiving political contributions from the oil companies.

Rather than stomp our feet and demand people to be angry like Daou wants us to do, isn't it a better idea to keep a cool head and learn from this experience? While there will be significant loss of animal life and damage to fragile ecosystems, we need to keep a cool head and try and do a better job to avoid these problems. We also need to develop other energy sources. Or does Dou want us to go back to living in caves or log cabins?

This is not the end of the world. It is a significant disaster, but life will go on, and we will learn from this experience. Let's let cooler heads prevail and forget about the nitwits on the left and the right.

Obama's Misguided Foreign and Domestic Policy

Just read Michael Goodwin's article in the New York Post. Really does make you wonder what drives Obama. He rips the citizens of Arizona for trying to do the job that the federal government won't do, while a state Department stiff apologizes to China about our record on human rights! Apologizes to China? Are you kidding me? Check out the link below.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/bam_daze_of_the_weak_EiUUfDbjnfUa3SxyR0d24O

Pennsylvania Hockey Rules!

Ok, I may be getting a bit ahead of myself, but even if things don't ultimately work out in the end this year, I have to say that we are mighty spoiled by our hockey teams here in PA. Last night, the Hershey Bears won their conference final to make their 4th straight trip to the Calder Cup finals in the AHL. They are shooting for their 3rd title in 4 years.

The Philadelphia Flyers are now one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup finals, but they are playing a tough Montreal team that has shown the ability to come back from adversity. Still, I am betting the Flyers get through, where they will likely play Chicago for the title.

And, we can't forget that Pittsburgh was last year's Stanley Cup champion.

Just thought I'd do a little bragging!

Clinton Warns North Korea over Sinking of Warship

Oh my, North Korea must be shaking in its boots now that Secretary of State Clinton has issued a "stern" warning about the recent attack on a South Korean warship that resulted in the loss of 46 sailors.

Seems like all we ever do is warn these countries about sanctions, international responses, etc, etc. But, they continue to thumb their noses at us. Let's face it, this administration is viewed as weak, and the international community will continue to ignore its warnings until it is perceived as strong.

In the case of North Korea, they know that China always has their back. And of course, since China holds more of our Treasury bonds than any other country, we must continue to kiss their ass so that they don't dump those securities and send us plunging into a depression.

That is the problem with running up this much debt. We have no leverage over anyone. While China loves to continue selling us their products, they have the incentive to keep our economy stable. But, once the developing countries become more developed and wealthy enough to buy more imports, they won't need us as much.

Intelligence Chief Blair Resigns Under Pressure

Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair resigned yesterday. I thought it interesting that he didn't bother to thank President Obama for the opportunity to serve. Apparently Obama had asked him to resign and that a search for a new Director had already been under way.

Hmmmm....what does all this tell us? Blair is obviously a fall guy for the terrorist attacks in the U.S. in the last six months. Starting with the Christmas Day bomber, then with the Ft. Hood massacre, and ending with the Times Square bomber.

Three attacks that we didn't see coming. Or, in my view, three attacks where the signs were ignored because this administration is trying to be too politically correct.

Flyers Flat in Game 3 against Canadiens

I soooo wanted to go out on a limb the other night and say the Flyers are on their way to the Stanley Cup! Yes, not just to the Final, but to the Cup itself. But, as a fan of any Philly team, we tend to be more pessimistic about things. Until the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, there had been many years of should-coulda-wouldas from all four of the city's major sports franchises since the Sixers won their last title in 1983. Since then, the Flyers have arguably been the most frustrating team, since they made it to a couple Stanley Cup finals, and to a few conference finals, only to let the city down.

This year, since they have been on the edge of a cliff all year, not much was expected in the playoffs. Even after the surprisingly easy defeat of the hated New Jersey Devils in round one, the Flyers seemed to come back to reality against the Bruins, losing three straight. But, then a six game winning streak had me thinking this just might be the year! Still, I held my opinion in check, and rightfully so after tonight's bashing in Montreal.

So, I will continue to just hope, rather than go out on a limb and pick them as the winner of the Cup. What can I say...in PA, we're all a bunch of pessimists!

Obama Tactic for Mid-terms: Blame Bush

Just read this blog by Mark McKinnon of The Daily Beast. Check it out below. As Sarah Palin has said "How's that Hopey Changey thing workin' for ya?"

Hmmm...on a day when the Dow Jones is down nearly 400 points, and about ready to break 10,000 on the DOWNSIDE again, I don't think that Hopey Changey thing is workin' real good at this point.

Let's all face reality here now...Obama is just ANOTHER politician. Always has been, always will be, and he is as partisan as it gets.

Read: Obama Blames Bush

Did Lance Armstrong use PEDs?

What a surprise, Floyd Landis finally comes clean about cheating with performance enhancing drugs during his cycling career. Landis was stripped of his 2006 Tour De France title after testing positive after the race. He had raised eyebrows during that race after making a huge comeback in a late stage after being blown out the day before. Not surprisingly, soon after he tested positive, and he fought his case for years.

Landis is now pointing fingers at Lance Armstrong, accusing him of using PEDs while Landis and Armstrong were part of the U.S. Postal service team. Landis claims the whole team used drugs during his tenure.

I personally would not be surprised if Armstrong used PEDs. The entire cycling community was using them. Many of the top names were caught, including a couple of Armstrong's top rivals, Jan Ulrich and Ivan Basso. Looks like there will be a cloud over this year's Tour.

Anti-Big Government Wave Gaining Steam

Yup, the Tea Party is for real folks, so get ready for a crazy mid-term election. The throw the bumbs out crowd is gathering momentum! It is gaining victories against both Democrats and Republicans. But now that the primaries are over, you can bet that the focus will be on the Democrats. If this economy continues to struggle, you can bet there will be a huge victory for Republicans in November.

While I am not a huge fan of Republicans either, I find the leaders of the Democratic party to be far more repulsive, and I would like to see them out of power. While that would still leave Obama as President, he'll have to wake up and smell the coffee.

I just hope whoever does hold the Senate and House that there is some common sense among them. Seems like we haven't seen that for a while.

Here's a few links for further reading...

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/05/20/a_big_hit_against_big_government_105661.html

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/05/20/wall_street_reform_just_more_crony_capitalism_105659.html

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/05/20/limits_to_the_anti-government_mood.html (EJ Dionne continues to show how out of touch he is)

Double Dip Recession

I turned on CNBC this morning to see the markets are headed for a sharply lower open this morning. European turmoil continues. However, the move accelerated downward upon the release of the jobless claims figures for this week, which rose 25,000 to 471,000.

Yesterday, it was also reported that mortgage applications have fallen off a cliff since the expiration of the new mortgage tax credit on April 30th. Gee, no one expected that to happen!

Isn't it now clear that the bailouts and the stimulus have not worked? Unfortunately, now that the debt has been run up so far, there won't be any room for new tax cuts. I wouldn't be surprised to see the economy post a negative growth quarter again some time this year.

The Tiger Woods Saga

As I am more than just an avid golfer, I've had more than a passing interest in the Tiger Woods story. Last night, there was a big story presented by Nancy Grace on Headline News about a potential police cover up in the November crash that lead to Tiger's fall from grace. There was also information that Tiger admitted to his wife that he had been with over 100 women during the marriage.

Sounds to me like Tiger is going to have a tough time being competitive on the PGA Tour for some time to come. Wouldn't it be an interesting story if he somehow managed to play and win the U.S. Open next month at Pebble Beach? That is the site of probably his greatest victory, when he won the Open at Pebble in 2000 by 15 shots. A win by Tiger there would essentially say F-You world, I am still king of my domain! But, alas, I just don't see this happening. Would be one hell of a story though!

Obama Poll Numbers Dropping Fast This Week

Just about every day, I check out Realclearpolitics.com and get my update on President Obama's poll numbers. The numbers had stabilized in recent weeks after a slow, inexorable decline.

This week, however, I have noticed a rapid drop. Just last week, I had seen a Gallup poll at 51 approve and 42 disapprove. Rasmussen had him at about 48 approve and 51 disapprove. This week those numbers are 46-46 for Gallup and this morning, Rasmussen had him at 44 to 55.

These are the two polls I follow most closely. I pretty much ignore any poll taken by ABC, CBS and NBC as those polls ALWAYS show higher numbers for Obama. The Gallup poll is a poll of all voters, while Rasmussen sticks with Likely Voters. Likely voters are people like myself, who pay more attention to what is going on in the world.

I have no idea why Obama's numbers are taking a dive this week. Could it be the stock market nosedive? The lack of results in getting the BP Gulf of Mexico situation cleaned up? The problems in Europe?

All I can say is that if his numbers continue to plunge, Democrats will be in big trouble in November, and they know it!

Corporate Profits - Are They Evil?

It's funny how no one complains about how much money Apple is making these days, even in a weak economy. Yet, you hear politicians, usually Democrats, whining about the profits that oil and drug companies make and of course the banks.

Last night I listened to an Illinois Congressman whining about how BP makes $62 million per day, and this oil leak in the Gulf is only going to cost them hundreds of millions of dollars, a drop in the bucket. He wants to keep BP from ever obtaining a drilling license again.

What the Congressman fails to mention is the risk involved in drilling for oil a mile beneath the water. There is never any mention by these politicians about the cost of developing a new drug, or the creativity our financial institutions need to have to generate new business.

So, its ok to make a profit, until that quest for profit adversely affects everyone. Let's look at a case in point. Due to some of the crazy banking regulations created in the 1990's under Clinton, banks were forced to offer loans to homeowners who had no business buying a home. An appraiser friend of mine related an interesting story for me a while back. He appraised a home in a not-so-nice neighborhood and his value conclusion was coming in way below the purchase price. He relayed that info to the banker, who replied, "that doesn't matter, I have to make the loan anyway." The bank was being forced to make shaky loans by over zealous regulators who wanted to be sure that home ownership was accessible to everyone. Banks were forced to take on these loans, which were then packaged with other subprime loans in a security sold to an investor, and voila, you have the subprime mortgage debacle.

So, here we are now, faced with tightening oil supplies around the world, yet the politicians here at home don't want us to tap into the resources we have in our own backyard. Yes, the Gulf oil spill is a disaster and unfortunate. Obviously, something went wrong there and steps need to be taken to make sure it doesn't happen again. I heard that Chris Matthews on MSNBC suggested that we nationalize oil. I think he should take a look at the former Soviet Union and try swimming in the waters where they have drilled for oil. Not very clean over there. Would you trust your government, which can't even run the post office, to operate a business like this efficiently? Doubtful.

What I don't hear out of these politicians is any concern regarding the 11 workers who were killed in the accident. Do they really think BP had that much disregard for their own employees? Sometimes accidents happen. They are painful for all those involved. But, we move on and try to learn from them. If the knee jerk reaction is to always try to lay blame and shut a business down, nobody wins.

In this case, however, where we shut down exploration and drilling in the Gulf, there is a winner...the Arab states. Is that what we really want?

More Democratic Hypocrisy

Wow, I wake up this morning and begin to do my usual online reading and come across this headline in Slate: "Don't Judge Elena Kagan by Her College Thesis." Hmmm...isn't that EXACTLY what the Democrats tried to do to Bob McDonnell during the Virginia election for governor last Fall?

Oh, of course the author of the article backtracks and mentions we shouldn't pay attention to anyone's college thesis when they are running for office 20 or 30 years later, and he does mention the McDonnell issue, along with Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama.

So, he is actually trying to get in front of the issue, since it serves his purpose in this regard. Funny how when the shoe is on the other foot we are supposed to take a different approach. Ultimately, I agree with the article. Most people act like idiots in college, myself included. It takes a much longer time for a person's political views to be shaped.

Here is the article... http://www.slate.com/id/2254100/

Sestak Defeats Specter in Pennsylvania Primary

Representative Joe Sestak defeated Senator Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary this evening. Specter is outsted after five terms and after he switched parties last year to avoid a likely Republican primary defeat. As it turns out, most of us in PA, Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike, are tired of Specter.

Last year, Specter was one of the few Republican votes cast for the economic stimulus package, which was widely viewed by conservatives as a pork laden package that would do little to stimulate the economy. His vote enraged conservatives to the point where he realized he had no chance at defeating a more conservative opponent, Pat Toomey, in a Republican primary.

Since then, President Obama and the Pennsylvania Democratic establishment lead by Governor Ed Rendell welcomed Specter and backed him in his bid for the Democratic nomination. Rendell has also become increasingly unpopular across the state, although he remains popular in Philadelphia.

I don't know much about Pat Toomey, but Specter was clearly a guy who overstayed his welcome. It is nice to see that voters do actually have a say in American politics, no matter who backs what candidate. Sestak ran a smart campaign, and now in November, Pennsylvanians will be given a clear choice between a left leaning Sestak and a conservative Pat Toomey. My guess is that if the economy has not shown dramatic improvement, unemployment is still near 10%, and Europe is still in economic chaos, then Toomey has a solid chance. Otherwise, Pennsylvania seems to lean more Democrat based upon recent election cycles and Sestak should be a slight favorite as of now.

In PA-12, the Democrat Critz defeated the Republican Burns in a special election to hold the seat left open by the death of long term Democrat Jack Murtha. Republicans hoped for an upset, but Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2-1 margin in this district in the Johnstown area. Interestingly, both candidates rejected Obama administration policies as the winner, Critz said he would have voted against the healthcare bill and the stimulus. These two will have a rematch in November, as both also won their party primaries this evening.

What I hope is that tonite strikes fear in any of the long time incumbents. I personally believe we still need term limits. Politicians simply become too entrenched in the system and forget the people they represent. I think it would be healthy to get some bold and fresh new ideas every decade or so, rather than allow these politicians, who get such a built-in advantage through incumbency, to get stale and rotten and corrupt while staying in office for 20 or 30 years.

Just my two cents!

I'm Just Wrong

Well, the name of this blog is "I'm Just Wrong" so I thought that would be a good title for my first official blog.

I am a formerly registered Republican who has been a registered independent since 2004. Unfortunately, here in PA, that means I can't vote in primary elections. That would've been a nice thing to do today, as I would have had the opportunity to vote out Arlen Specter.

Arlen Specter epitomizes what I think is wrong with with Washington. These guys get entrenched in power and forget what it is we sent them there for. In the case of Specter, you simply have no idea what the guy stands for. Like many politicians, he simply says what he think he must in order to get elected.

The fact is I am just not seeing much I like out of our politicians these days. I think we have idiots on the left and jackasses on the right, and not enough representation for those of us in the middle. So, considering I am opinionated, I plan on being one of the loud voices in the middle.

Anyhow, the title for my blog comes from my girlfriend, who happens to be black. When I say something that is particularly politically incorrect, she replies "you are just wrong!" I get a kick out of ruffling a few feathers now and then. My opinions will range across a spectrum of issues from politics to relationships to sports to Hollywood to finance. I hope you enjoy this blog and I look forward to reading your comments!

Opinionated Scott