Time to Thin the Herd

Newt Bonaparte graced us all with his asses-ment of the field of Republican hopefuls by declaring them to all be a bunch of "pygmies". Thanks, Mr. B. Would that they could all be so tall in wisdom and rotund in tact as the grandmaster of pygmydom himself. I suppose it is big of you to sit it out until it looks like Repubs are flailing for a leader and then insert yourself again as the conquering hero. Get your pointy hat out of the closet and start dusting it off, I suppose. Like, what the Repubs really need is a guy who can chase those pesky "independents" clean out of the Grand Ol' Party tent. Yeah.

So anyway, sure, I agree these debates are rather ridiculous. Stand up, smile, catch a few sound bite opportunity fish thrown your way by a guy you really can't stand. At some point, you just gotta figure the numbers aren't swinging your way.

But where is that point? Cut too soon, and you might miss the old front runner's campaign ruination. Cut too late, and you look like someone desperate for one last gasp at the gold ring. The real problem with hanging in too long is that you're siphoning must needed cash from the availability pool. The real problem with cutting too soon, is that you might've been able to cash in on some good opportunities... like taking the lead in numerous key polls.

When I first heard Romney was looking to make a go of it, I thought, "hey, cool, a righty Mormon from a lefty state. Might be fun." But I didn't give him a whole lotta confidence. I mean, come on, he's a Mormon. A good friend pointed out that to win in the east, you've got to compromise a few values. Poll numbers weren't looking all that great, anyway. Wrote him off.

I think, though, that Romney played this one smart. Needed name recognition, needed to overcome the Mormon thing. An early start was the only way to do it. Put the Mormon issue out there, let folks chew on it a bit, bait Sharpton to comment on it, and people realize how stupid the whole issue really is. That's out of the way. Focus on the early states for the name recognition. Do well enough there, and you'll get noticed the rest of the way.

This is a guy who has earned his millions. This is a guy who has turned many lemon into a nice refreshing summertime beverage. This is a guy who knows how to get people of influence to do things. I'm thinkin'... give this guy a chance, see what he can do.

For the rest of these guys, 1.2% is not gonna change all that much, especially with no money behind it. It's getting to be about time to start facing reality, and start thinking about climbing behind a champion.

The Cat's Meow

I would normally explain a link to someone else's post, but this one speaks for itself. Just read... but swallow whatever you've got in your mouth first.

A Man for all Women

So, I'm listening to NPR as they discuss the latest Demo Bros Three-Ring Debate. Hillary, who has hand crafted her own voting bloc of female hitmen to "get the word out", proclaimed herself to be the voice of women who have successfully sacrificed their own families for their careers. Suddenly, Johnny Ed quickly declared that he had already claimed said title, had a copyright on it, and would sue her if she did not take it back.

His wife backed him up on it. "Look at him," argues Mrs. Ed, "he looks more like a woman than Hillary could ever dream to be."

She then held up this poster, marked "Exhibit A".






"Oh, Yeah?!" retorted Hillary, in a moment of temporary sanity. "But can you do...


THIS?!"

I'll mark it "Exhibit B--".

Broad Support for Romney

Take a look a this map and see if you notice the same thing I do. As you click in the various candidates, watch the circles grow and shrink and move around. Blur your eyes a little and click back and forth, back and forth... you are growing very sleepy... you are in my power... click on Hillaryous... now Osam - er- Obama... now Romney... now Hillary... now Romney... now Hillary... now Romney... now Obama... now Romney... now Giulliani... now Romney... now McCain... now Romney... notice anything?

Now send me your wallet...

*Snap*

Welcome back.

Thanks to Hava for the link.

Create Your Own Protection

You know that natural reluctance to gun control because you are afraid that will only leave guns in the hands of criminals and you vulnerable to their demands? Well, here's the solution.

Going Topless in Britain

That's right. The English have decided to shed their tops and bare it all in open court. But then, we've already gone there here in the States.

Something About Fred?

A good friend of mine is getting excited about Fred Thompson. I have read a few things about him, and his interest in living in the White House. To be honest, there is nothing that really excites me about him right now. However, I reserve the right to change my mind as the season progresses. I am including a link to a website that looks like it might be the embryo to his presidential bid site.

In the meantime, take a look at this bit of Fred's writing. I think he does a service to those of us who enjoy the legal profession with a spark of aspiration toward politics. Thanks Fred. I'll keep watching.

Battle of the Bulge-Busters

How do you know when you're fat? How about when the office decides to have a contest to see who can lose 10 pounds the fastest, and it's hatched by two women who really have no reason to be losing weight, and the only person they approach about joining this "contest" is you. Hmmmmm.

Well, being the competitive sucker that I am, I threw in my ten dollars and boasted that I had lost thirty-five pounds in a month before, and I can drop this ten pounds in a week! Oops. Ok, so it was more like twenty pounds, and it took me all summer, and I was working in a hot factory for 40-50 hours a week, but I've still got it in me. Trust me, there is plenty of it in me.

That evening, as I was finishing my last supper, I planned my strategy... gorge on watermelon and drink a gallon of water just before my first weigh-in. Well, the water and melon didn't quite make it that far. After four midnight trips to the bathroom, I figured I ought to play this thing honestly, and me and the missus hauled out the long-forgotten Weight Watchers plan and hatched a for-real approach. We hit the WalMart for the necessary veggies, frozen dinners, itty-bitty diet cupcakes and On-the-g0 water enhancer flavorer packets.

Turned out, Anita is doing Jenny Craig, Teresa is doing the South Beach, and I am going to win with Weight Watchers.

Personally, I prefer the Baha'i Diet. Take the best of all diets, and indulge. One diet restricts your meat, but lets you eat bread. Another prefers meat, but no bread. WW lets you eat ketchup, sauces, and all the veggies you can stand. Put that together, and you've got the makings of a good hamburger. Now, if I could just find one that promotes cheese...

AlGore the Magnificent

So, flipping thru the channels Sunday night (yes, I am a sinner who occasionally watches tv on Sunday, but in this case, it turned out to be appropriate) and hit on C-Span. When who to my wondering eyes should appear, but jolly Father AlGore and his faithful minions preaching the gosthpel of global dethstruction. So I watched. I have often wondered what it would be like to go mindless for a while. Not mindless as in sitting around watching reruns of Hawaii Five-o, but mindless as in lead me oh great and powerful Al, in the path of lefteousness, that I may put my environment and my job and my hemp-woven tie dye before my family and my God.

So, he drivels. And he dravels. And now and then, he drovels. Finally, he announces that here with him, to support him in this great mission to which the mothership has called him, are two great performers... ready?... Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood?!! HOLD ON, I say. Man, that sucks (that they have embraced the gosthpel of Father AlGore), but, hey... free concert... man.

Then, just as they enter the stage...


"We now will take you to the conference on the soft dissolution of Iraq study group, pre-recorded from Thursday. This will last approximately an hour and a half."

Gee, C-Span, its no wonder your ratings suck.

Oops. Gotta run... America's Got Talent (Deficit) is just finishing up and I want to see if it's going to be the gay Russian, or the cross-dressing curly haired lez who acts like a man acting like a girl.

One Word

Honor.

A value not taken by oneself, but bestowed upon one by those whose respect one has earned.

He served with honor. A United States Marine.

Earned from those who trained him, those who trained with him, those who served with him, and those whom he has served, this value is one which we who have watched him grow, have placed on him and which is now rightfully his.

As he enters this next stage of life, may he learn the strength of this value, not so much as the one who possesses it, but as one who bestows it upon another.

I am honored to be called his brother. I am privileged to call him brother.

Best Wishes!

Pardon Me?

Take a gander at this beautiful expose written by Bill Clinton's political advisor of 20 years. Should Scooter Libby be required to spend time behind bars for lying to a grand jury? I don't really care. Most people probably wouldn't, either, except that we are supposed to, since this important incident has been plastered all over the news as just another reason not to like Bush. Who cares? Bush is on his way out, anyway, so it's not like he really needs to score points with anyone. Republicans are falling all over themselves to distance themselves from him, and there's not a Dem to be found who is willing to give him much credit for doing a good job in the White House. So really... who cares?!

But then, here comes the Clinton condemnation of the pardon. I guess Summertime is perhaps the best time for them to open mouth and insert foot, what with sunburned faces and all. Makes it easier to pass the red-face test.