Hillary: The Twenty-first Century Teflon Candidate

This is apparently now what appears in the AP style manual  (the slayer of the Oxford Comma) in the section defining "innocence" or "Who? Me? What'd I do?"

Also apparent is the Media's latest shift in their strategies to effect Clinton-spin. From Hot Air: 

So even if Hillary Clinton never “intended” for sensitive information to be exposed, keeping it outside of the normal storage and safeguards of the government is more than sufficient for a case to be prosecuted. But the fundamental premise of saying there was no malicious intent is still dishonest in and of itself. Whether she cared for it or not, Secretary Clinton was aware that there was a State Department email system in place and available for her use. When your employer provides such a communication system for the employees it requires an active decision on the part of the employee to go out and hire people to set up a completely independent server in their home and keep it’s contents away from the prying eyes of the public. If she had restricted her use of that server to nothing but personal correspondence with friends and family it would still have raised some eyebrows but I believe she’d get a pass on the entire malicious intent question, but that’s not even remotely what happened. She was intentionally doing public business on her private server and it doesn’t require a psychic to figure out why. She didn’t want the public or the press to know about it or have any traceable records.

Still, as I referenced above, that’s not the question at hand. The lack of intent line is just a red herring. Prosecution under 18 USC 793 only requires that the information wind up being outside of its proper place of custody. You can argue the intent angle all the live long day but it doesn’t change the fact that the law clearly appears to have been broken. Whether the Justice Department (under the thumb of one of Clinton’s biggest campaign surrogates) decides to do anything about it is another question.

Bless her heart. She didn't mean to cause no trubbles.

I'm fairly certain that General Petraeus was of the same mind. Not that that did any good, or anything, for his defense. He was convicted in a Federal Court, and in the court of public opinion, barely escaping having to appear before a Court Martial, losing a star in the process.

I'm about as fed up as I can get with "standards" vs. "Clinton standards."  But then, I've lived in Arkansas during most of the Clinton era so I'm ahead of the game in recognizing Clinton adoration-blinders when I see them.

It's time for the rest of the country to WAKE THE EFF UP and smell the BS.

Yeah. Fat chance.

(Sorry for the language. Hillary brings out the worst in me.)

Happy Derby Day and Mother's Day Eve.

California and New York Hop on the Minimum Wage Thrill Ride

So. Today, California and New York took the first steps to raising their intra-state minimum wage to $15.00 per hour over the next few years as the respective Governors signed the enabling legislation into effect.

The relevant politicians in those states flapped their jaws a bunch about "dignity" and "parity" and "economic justice."

I frankly don't think much consideration was given at all to actual "economics."

There goes that giant sucking sound again -- jobs vanishing from the good ol' US of A.

And $7.00 cheeseburgers at McDonald's. Self-service.

Roll the Dice and "Deal" the Cards

It will be interesting to watch how many Democrats work up enough gumption to oppose the Iran "Deal."  Wouldn't you love to have been a fly on the wall while Joe Biden was schooling the Congressional Democrats about it? And pitiful "Spineless" John Boehner "promised a fight." Yeah, I'm sure the White House is shaking in its collective boots.

One of our Arkansas Senators, Tom Cotton, told reporters today that, after reviewing the specifics of The Deal, he felt it wasn't as bad as he had feared; "it was worse."

Rush Limbaugh referred to the President's press conference today (the first in eons) as a "victory lap." Yep. That about sums it up. Even though he runs like a girl.

I'm afraid we've grown accustomed to failing to stop Obama's fundamental transformation of this country. I'm feeling a little jaded, and a whole lot hopeless, today. Do you suppose that's what the whole "hope and change" was about from the get-go?

Nothing would surprise me today.

It'll be interesting to see whether Obama's "legacy" survives a nuclear conflagration.  It probably will-- no one seems to recall Bill Clinton's assurances back in 1994 that his administration had reached a "good deal" with North Korea in which the Norks would "freeze and dismantle [their] nuclear program." Said the former prez:

"Before I take your questions, I'd like to say just a word about the framework with North Korea that Ambassador Gallucci signed this morning. This is a good deal for the United States," Clinton said at the press conference."North Korea will freeze and then dismantle its nuclear program. South Korea and our other allies will be better protected. The entire world will be safer as we slow the spread of nuclear weapons."South Korea, with support from Japan and other nations, will bear most of the cost of providing North Korea with fuel to make up for the nuclear energy it is losing, and they will pay for an alternative power system for North Korea that will allow them to produce electricity while making it much harder for them to produce nuclear weapons."The United States and international inspectors will carefully monitor North Korea to make sure it keeps its commitments. Only as it does so will North Korea fully join the community of nations."

That worked out pretty well, huh?

Maybe we should dust off the Bomb Shelters.

Moogie Cranks Up the BS-O-Meter: WoW!

So there's a "War on Women," is there?

Perhaps we should refer to the Meme of the Day as the "Reprise of the 'War on Women.' "  After all, the issue seemed to go dormant after the 2012 elections.  It seemed to have gone dormant, that is, at least until the 2014 mid-terms cranked up in earnest and the Left needed a hook to distract voters from serious issues. Railing on about a vicious War on Women sounds much sexier than defending Obamacare, or the IRS, or Benghazi. Or armed-to-the-teeth Federales waging a hot war on a cattle rancher in Nevada. Or the US role as a Global Super Power sinking slowly into the sunset with the Young President at the helm. Shall I go on?

The Wiki defines War on Women as "an expression in United States politics used to describe certain Republican Party policies as a wide-scale effort to restrict women's rights."

Oh. Republican policies.

*sigh*

Having lived and worked as a professional during a time when women's rights were genuinely restricted, or marginalized at best, and recognizing gender discrimination when I see it, I'm calling BS on this one.

Is there an imbalance between the wages paid to men and and those paid to women? I have no doubt. Is it caused by one's reproductive parts? Unlikely. It's more plausibly the result of differing skills, experience, and any number of other variables. Does it always smell "unfair?" Probably.

Would a shiny new (in addition to the laws and regs already on the books) Federal law prohibiting employers from paying men and women differently for similar work see an end to such practices forever and ever? If you believe that could happen, I'd like to offer you a ride on my prize-winning, thoroughbred race-Unicorn at a discounted rate. Just drop me a check in the mail.

It's difficult to believe that people are so shallow, uninformed, and gullible that they would jump onto this bandwagon. It's almost as difficult to believe as watching War on Women "opponents" prattle on about their cause with a straight face. They can't really believe what they're saying, can they? They have to know that it's all just a Game of Politics? District of Columbia Sleight of Hand. Hot-Button Pole Dancing. The Capitol Hill Razzle Dazzle.

Come on, people! You're being played for patsies. Grow up!! There are legitimate issues out there.

Still Remembering

I'll get to happier things another day -- such as our recent trip to ALASKA!!! -- but today is September 11th.  It's September 11th, the day after our president commandeered the airwaves and thoroughly confused the nation with his irreconcilable position(s) on a strike against Syria. (An "unbelievably small,  limited kind of effort" according to alleged Secretary of State, John Kerry.)

[Telegraphed by Kerry, the Young President drops back and quick kicks to Russia . . . ]

 Anyway, being dreadfully confused, and needing to focus on more pleasant things, I believe I'll re-post 2010's 9/11  entry.  It's about how the 9/11 attacks changed my life for the better:

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Remembrance and Reflection

September 11th.  9/11.  9 - 1 - 1.

The repercussions from that day are many and diverse, aside from the obvious holes in the ground and in our hearts. 

The wound -- the pandemic pain and suffering that we all shared with one another and the families of the fallen -- is still here even though it's scabbed over now.  I suspect, however, that it wouldn't take much to knock the scab off and start the blood flowing all over again.  I think the kerfuffles over Koran-burning and mosque-building the last couple of weeks are proof positive of that suspicion.

For the last 8 years, I've gotten pretty contemplative during the days leading up to this date, as have most Americans, I imagine.

My younger cousin posted on Facebook this morning that she had just dropped off her young children at school when the first plane hit.  She firmly believes her oldest is now a Cadet at West Point as a direct consequence of that day's events.

Pepper was on one of the first civilian flights cleared to take off on September 14th.  He was headed to a meeting originally scheduled to take place at the Pentagon, but re-located after al-Qaeda crashed a plane into it.  There had been friends in the Pentagon that September morning.  It was hard to watch him get on that plane.

We all recall where we were, what we were doing, how life changed after the towers fell.  My own life changed dramatically but, oddly, for the better after that day.

Having moved down to New Orleans full-time only a couple of months beforehand, I knew but a few souls in the whole city and those few were still just passing acquaintances.  My father was in Little Rock.  All the kids were out of the house, married or in college towns in Arkansas and Louisiana.  On the 11th, the girls badly wanted to ditch classes and run to mama's and daddy's arms for comfort as they did when they were little, but we encouraged them to stick it out where they were.  That sounds like "tough love" but, truth be told, we were scared to put them on the highways, not knowing what was next and conjuring up Armageddon.  It was a very, very lonely time.

The week following the attacks, I saw a newspaper article about a service designed to support local military families that had been affected.  I called the telephone number in the article, and when the voice at the other end of the line asked how she could help me, I replied that I wasn't seeking help, I wanted to volunteer with the program.  She handed the phone to a man who has since become a close friend, and that conversation led me to eventual membership in the Mayor's Military Advisory Committee, The Military Officers' Wives' Club, and ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve).  September 11th molded my life in New Orleans and blessed me with new friends and volunteer opportunities.

I'm not sure why, but I never really appreciated that blessing until this year: out of disaster came a fresh start; out of reflection came recognition.

Would that it could be that way for the world. 

Now.  If we could just get a little satisfaction on Benghazi . . .  .

The Best of Healthcare Reform

I spent a good deal of the morning re-reading my posts on Healthcare Reform dating back to 2009.  It turns out that I was pretty spot on about a lot of stuff.  There are 43 of them, but these are some of my favorites:

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Words Not Necessary

Courtesy of IMAO.

 

 

And:

 

Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Health Care Reform Vote and the Slow-Learners in Congress

I obviously have not forgiven him for uttering it, because I certainly haven't forgotten it, but my husband made an observation a number of years ago that I think has particular applicability to Congress's vote last night on the House health care reform bill.

When I was first learning to play at golf (I still haven't learned to "play" it, just "play at" it), Pepper and I started playing "Twilight Couples" rounds in which we were paired with another couple and assigned some bizarre format designed to produce a divorce or two per round. On one of those blissful Friday evenings, I blew a putt. Actually, I had blown several putts on several different holes in one of those formats that, in addition to boosting the bottom line at the divorce lawyer's firm, had the added benefit of torturing the weaker player in a twosome.

 

The "weaker player" -- that would be me.

 

Anyway, after I blew the third or fourth putt, my precious soulmate turned red in the face as that vein in his forehead popped out, stared me down, and in a measured tone a few octaves higher than his normal speaking voice that turned the surrounding air a little blue, spat out the words: "G.D., Moogie! Even a monkey learns after watching other monkeys for a little while!!!"

 

For some reason that I still fail to understand to this day, I chose to finish the round and not leave him. And a few days later, I got a really nice gift -- it may even have been sparkly. That's kinda how my precious soulmate apologizes when he knows he's really screwed up.

 

So, when that memory floated to the top of my consciousness this morning as I dissected yesterday's House vote in my cozy bed, a whole bunch of monkeys and apes sprang to life right before my eyes. Monkeys named Canada, Sweden, England, Massachusetts, Tennessee. Apes that had played with socialized healthcare and figured out that it doesn't work; monkeys that watched its citizens losing way too many balls in a bottomless rough without boundaries; apes that were living the old joke about how to play a really long round with the partner who had a heart attack on the course: hit the ball, drag Fred; hit the ball, drag Fred.

 

Next, I realized that I'm Fred. You'll be Fred. Our grandkids will have to pay Fred's greens fees and drag us around without so much as being able to tee one up. And then I realized that those monkeys we've been watching have given up on this game because the rules aren't fair, the game is way too confusing and expensive, and there aren't enough tee times to go around.

 

Damn, Congress! Even monkeys can learn after watching other monkeys for awhile!

 

Those apes on Capitol Hill must be a little slow. We'll have to use very small words while explaining the error of their way. And take away their bananas.

 

Somehow I don't think we'll be getting a nice gift, though -- sparkly or otherwise. Maybe just a little more monkey poo flung in our direction.

 

Yeah, I certainly feel like I've been pelted with monkey poo today.  *sigh*

Wanted: Grown Ups To Populate the New Orleans City Council

We have quite the kerfuffle going on in the City Council, and very few of the Council members are acting their age.

It all started last summer when At-Large member Arnie Fielkow announced that he was resigning effective October 1 to assume the CEO position with the NBA Retired Players Association.  His departure left a vacant spot on the Council, and the usual suspects began circling their wagons in preparation for a brutal election to fill the spot which had been filled in the interim by a top aide to Fielkow.

Elections in New Orleans are nothing if not racially charged.  I know you're surprised to hear that. 

Fielkow is a white guy; Sanderson, the interim member, is a black guy.  When the dust settled after the primary in April, the run-off saw a white woman pitted against a black woman, both veterans of the Council, and it was a gloves-pulled-off, brutal, hair-pulling cage fight with a decidedly racial spin.  The final tally on election night gave the race to the white woman, Stacy Head, by a razor-thin edge of 281 votes.  It took several days before the black woman, Cynthia Willard-Lewis, finally conceded; Stacy Head was sworn in on May 2nd.

The Council immediately began debate on how to tweak the At-Large election procedure.  Naturally.  Priorities, priorities.

In the meantime, Stacy Head recommended a successor for her District B seat (which just happens to be the District that represents Moogie's Mansion), Errol George, a black guy, and he began interviewing with the other members, being led to believe that he was a shoo-in.

But, oh no.  This is New Orleans where we may call ourselves "The Big Easy," but we rarely do anything the easy way.

The Council was to meet for a regularly scheduled session on May 3rd and on the agenda were, among other things, amending the At-Large election process and the appointment of the interim successor to the District B spot.  After three members (all white women) changed their minds about voting for the new procedure, preferring instead to defer a vote until June to allow for more debate and public hearing, the measure failed.  And, up hopped Members Cynthia Hedge-Morrell (yes, we have lots of Cynthia Hyphenated-Names in New Orleans politics) and Jon Johnson (both black), and walked out of the chamber.

They walked out of the chamber, leaving in their wake no quorum for the Council to carry on further business.  Including the confirmation of Mr. George.  Among all the other city business.  They have yet to attend either regularly-scheduled or specially-called meetings since, offering lame-to-no excuse. 

Ms. Hedge-Morrell told the press yesterday that the change of heart about the election procedure voted on at the May 3rd meeting left her feeling "marginalized."  If the Council can't muster a quorum before June 1, the task of appointing a successor will fall to the Mayor, and it's looking like that's exactly what's going to happen.  Woo.  Hoo.

So, Ms. Hedge-Morrell is feeling a little put upon, is she?  Bless her heart.

Well, guess what?  Her childish antics, which effectively shut down all city council business -- some of which addresses some pretty heavy issues, including a proposed unnecessary, tremendous increase in sewerage/water fees -- are leaving Moogie feeling significantly worse than "marginalized."  Her behavior is leaving me feeling quite disenfranchised.  Literally.

I don't even want to get into Johnson's role in the whole thing.  He might just be the unwitting victim in a parish-wide cat fight.  But, he could be a brother and stand up for the other black guy who just wants to fill a spot on the Council until November -- when he'll even be ineligible to run for the permanent position.

I'm thinking we need a little adult supervision in the playground Council chambers.

After This Election Season, Moogie is Soooo Ready for VIDAP!

So, election day has come and gone in the Pelican State.  There are a few runoffs in the making, but nothing that I'm particularly interested in.  All the top elected positions in state government will now be held by Republicans, and that makes me happy even though I'm not a Republican.  I'm a registered Independent, but Republicans seem to lean closer towards smaller government and fiscal conservatism.  At least they tend to talk that talk, even if they don't always walk the walk when they get to Baton Rouge.  But, they're politicians, so if their mouths are moving, they're lying, or at least prevaricating.  We must always keep that notion in mind when opting to place someone in a position of power.

Three of the five proposed Constitutional Amendments passed by fairly narrow margins.  I voted against all of them , even though a few won't do too terribly much harm, because all that nonsense does not belong in a Constitution!!! 

Since it was adopted in 1974, the Louisiana Constitution has been subjected to 214 possible Amendments, and amended 151 of those tries.  Tack on 3 more in a couple of months.  One-hundred fifty-four amendments!!  And all those amendments were proposed by the Legislature because there is no provision for amendment by Initiated act of the electorate!  That's putting an awful lot of trust in those candidates we elect to represent (purportedly) our interests.  Trouble is, there are too many of them who are one-issue do-gooders and look-out-for-number-1ers.  And that's not even counting the ones who are career politicians and/or unethical cronyists. 

One-hundred fifty-four amendments.  I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, though -- the body of the Constitution has fourteen substantive articles, twice as many as in the US governing document!  Must be the French influence -- they don't exactly fawn all over a "less is more" concept.

I also voted against re-authorizing the proposed Regional Business Park Tax.  Why?  Because it's a freakin' TAX!!!  A tax to "stimulate industrial and commercial development" in New Orleans East.  And it doesn't specify who administers the tax, or what those administrators actually do.  And this is the first time since its inception in 1982 that the voters have reared up and said No More!

I know.  I know.  Most of the laws enacted in this once free land don't specify much of anything; they leave the devil and the details to bureaucrats. And that's part of the problem.  Ain't much sunshine behind the doors of government bureaucracies, no matter the level.

Back here in Louisiana, Boy Whiz Kid Bobby Jindal amassed some 66% of the vote to remain in the Governor's Mansion, besting his nearest opponent who only garnered 17.80%, and Andy's candidate, the interesting-sounding Greek lady who took 2.12%.  That's all well and good, I suppose, even though lame ducks can go rogue if you don't keep a pretty close eye on them.  Just look at what Congress tried to do after the 2010 elections. 

So, election day is over for another year.  Yep, one year.  That's something that really sucks about living in a state where the statewide elections are held in non-Congressional election years -- someone's always running for something.  Still, there is an upside to the slightest break from hard-hitting election season: the robo calls will stop for a little while!!!

I promise you, if we received one call over the last few weeks, we've received a hundred.  And they all call on each other's behalf down here!  It got to the point that if I didn't recognize the number on caller ID, I'd hit "answer" followed immediately by "end," so if you tried to call Moogie on the landline and you were hung up upon, sorry about that.  No, I'm not sorry at all.  We do what we gotta do to save our sanity.  I told one poor lady, who cold-called yesterday to talk to Pepper about some investment thing or another, that it was election day and we'd gotten about 92 calls and I could guarantee that she didn't want to talk to him under those circumstances.  She agreed.  Smart lady.

All the foregoing is designed to explain the need for a new voter policy.  Today, I'm announcing Moogie's new "Voters' Initiative to Dissuade Annoying Politicians," or VIDAP. It'll work like this:

In the future, every time a robo call for someone running for office hits the phones at Moogie's Mansion, or anywhere else enrolled in the program, the candidate (and any other "public servant" calling on behalf of the candidate) will receive a demerit, to be tabulated by the Enrollee's telephone service provider (the number of demerits filed against "other public servant callers" will be retained through two more election cycles), and once a pre-determined number of demerits has been amassed, that candidate will forfeit all votes in that household.  Each household may set its own number of demerits, and that number may be inscribed on the voter rolls where the candidates acquire the information with which to annoy voters.  So, in effect, the candidates will be rolling the dice whenever they opt to engage the robo.  Ya pays your money, ya takes your chances.

C'mon!  It can work!  Let's start lobbying the service providers today!

Sorta Through the Looking Glass

Today, they took the back wall down and the closet door in the master bedroom now opens onto the addition. We've decided it's kind of the Razorback version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.. Or, it could be a wormhole to Deep Space 9. I just hope nothing crittery tries to use it as an entrance.

I've not mentioned it here, but my granddog, Zeus, is -- for some unknown reason -- terrified of houseflies. Terrified! He has been known to refuse to come in from the backyard when one got in the house. You can imagine his state today, with the back of the house being al fresco and all.

Zeus is sedated. And I intend to hit the liquor store post haste. Amid the din of buzz saws and nail guns, I hear Happy Hour calling.

Pray that there's a roof (and a door that locks and windows) by nightfall, please! I'll post pics when I get back to New Orleans.

(I saw that my mayor made a fool of himself in Washington yesterday when he jumped on the "Pass the [nonexistent] jobs bill! bandwagon. Sigh.)

A Wee Bit of Overkill in the Law Department & UPDATE

A headline in today's Times-Picayune screams, "State unfurls 233 new laws today"!

Two hundred thirty-three new laws take effect in Louisiana today.

Earthshaking laws like authorizing a $20 bump in Traffic Court costs, allowing car dealers to sell cars featuring front seat passenger DVD screens, forbidding extra-bright headlights not installed by the car's manufacturer, and prohibiting those convicted of heinous sex crimes from accessing Internet chat rooms and certain websites.

We have a new Official State Gemstone: the Cabachon Cut gemstone, made by Louisiana oysters. See above.  (It replaces the Agate, which has been re-categorized as the Official State Mineral.  Agate is found in Louisiana gravel.  Our former state gemstone was gravel.  Really?!?)

We can now kill as many feral hogs as we wish, but we have to let the police know a day in advance before firing off any rounds.  Plan accordingly.

Two hundred thirty-three new laws.  Two hundred thirty-three new laws which will accompany the 1,063 new laws enacted last year.  That's what happens when you have a legislature that meets every year, with a mission.

Extrapolate the above out to Congress and you get an immediate headache.  And pain in the wallet.

*sigh*

UPDATE:  The ACLU has filed suit seeking to have the sex criminals' access to Facebook and other online fora (or "forums" for those who think using the word, "fora," is snooty) restored, claiming that the free speech rights of sex offenders are violated thereby.  Stay tuned.

**double sigh**

First They Came for the Light Bulbs . . . .

I think it's just a matter of being treated like a child by my very own government, but this light bulb thing is beginning to tick me off.

I didn't pay much attention when the manufacturing ban on incandescent light bulbs was first enacted -- heck, who did?  But now real-live shortages are cropping up.  I'm sure I'll wind up being "nudged" into buying the new, expensive bulbs that put out crappy light, but I don't have to be happy about it!  After all, ladies of a certain age prefer softer light.  Just ask Blanche Dubois.

On Tuesday, 228 Republicans voted yes on HR 2417 to repeal the ban; ten Republicans voted no. 183 Democrats voted no, but only five Democrats voted yes, so I'm guessing it will do me absolutely no good to contact my new, uber-Democrat (non)Representative.

This might be what we're really in for in the not-too-distant future:



There's another vote in the House, probably tomorrow, on another Bill (HR 337, energy and water appropriations) to which the Burgess amendment (to repeal the manufacturing ban) was offered today; this bill will take only a simple majority to pass.  Maybe it's not too late to wrest business decisions away from Washington and put them back in the hands of consumers.

Then again, maybe it was too late a long time ago.

Run!  The Nudge is coming!!

The Tax Debate is Hazardous to My Health

I've avoided it long enough.

It's time for Moogie to weigh in on the tax debate spinning around Washington in a freakin' LAME DUCK Congress!  The chicken sh*ts facing re-election wouldn't even stand up for their "middle class values" in public and hunkered down until after they had been routed at the polls, so now they really feel the need to stick it to us.

Caveat -- Moogie offers her thoughts and opinions at the risk of bringing on apoplexy.

Perhaps it is a character flaw, or greed, or some other misfire in my make-up, but I cannot find a way even to comprehend the liberal view that some people are more equal than others.  The liberal view appears to favor low income folks over those who have higher incomes or pricier possessions.  Some low-income folks are not required to share their stuff with others at all while the more "fortunate" are expected to fork over nearly half of what they work to produce, or more.  Even after they're dead!

Let me tell you -- Pepper came from dirt poor to nicely comfortable not through some nebulous cosmic good fortune or roll of the dice, but rather by the sweat of his brow and backbreaking work and stressful dedication.  And, I might add, I did my part, too, since I was about 13 working in my parents' small family business, working my way through law school as a bartender and cocktail waitress, all the way through practicing law and then teaching it, and even doing another part-time retail stint, all while maintaining a pretty nice home life and raising some pretty good kids.  Neither of us ever worked fewer hours than people making minimum wage -- we probably worked longer hours since we weren't subject to overtime ramifications -- yet we are expected to contribute considerably more of our income to the public weal than minimum wagers.  WTF?!?!

And what about those people who work "for cash?"  They pay nothing in, yet send their children to public schools and accept the services of first responders and use the public roadways.  Yet another WTF.  But, some might say, those work-for-cashers do so in exchange for receiving no social security benefits upon retirement.  To that argument I say, WTF?!?!  Social security was never intended to be a total retirement income; it was sold by FDR as simply a supplement to one's own savings or pension to keep the wolf off the front stoop of really old  65-year-old folks (life expectancy in 1935 was roughly 61 years.).  But today, it has become a giant cache of cash that can be accessed by those who know how to game the system.

So, in essence, liberals in Congress, under the guise of "helping those less fortunate" are stealing from the producers and giving it to heaven only knows who.  Estate taxes are nothing less than a confiscation of private property without compensation and have no place in modern society; they're nothing less than an effort to prevent the endowment of an American privileged "class."  Well, folks, I'm here to tell you that there are several "privileged" classes in this country -- finding them only takes a tweaking of the definition of the adjective "privileged" and I'm pretty fed up with being the source of their endowments.

So, soon to be ex-Speaker Pelosi has marshaled her troops for one last ultra-liberal, communist hoorah to fight an extension of the current tax rates for everyone (while still retaining the very worst marriage penalty in eons) and to gig anyone for having the gall to die with accumulated wealth of over five million dollars (and that would not be Moogie or Pepper, if anyone's curious, so I don't have an actual dog in this hunt.  But it surely could be small business owners or family farms, and I do eat!).  I say it's time to put the "Speaker" in suspended animation until the next Congress convenes.  She and her minions are nothing more than anachronistic hold-over hippies, dreaming of an impossible idyllic communal life, and they need to heed the voters who recently told them to STFU.

I am sooooo ready for 2012.

Pardon my rather salty language today.  I had to do something to let off steam and hold apoplexy in abeyance.

On the bright side, I had a very good six-month follow-up screening yesterday and am good to go until June!  Woo hoo!

An Open Letter to Nancy

Dear Soon-to-be-Ex-Speaker Pelosi: 

Since you will no longer be needing the services of military aircraft when traveling, as promised, I have made arrangements to tend to your needs for future air travel. 

You will be flying in Coach Class, in the middle seat, perched between a plus-size SEIU "operative" with an aversion to bathing that he "masks" with a liberal splash of Patchouli and a Teamster's wife who will be constantly breast-feeding their colicky infant twins who, by the way, are also subject to chronic ear infections.  No need to thank me -- it's the least I can do.  No, really, it's the very least.

No, wait.  Just one more thing. I do have a suggestion as to what you can do with that gavel now that you won't be needing it anymore. . .  .

Most very sincerely,
MoogieP

ADDENDUM:  This video on Michelle Malkin's blog shows you what liberal Democrat voters are capable of when confronted with differing opinions and loss.  Warning -- the first guy's rant consists mainly of epithets referencing intimate relations with one's maternal parent and unpleasant racial slurs.  Holy. Crap.  I posted the link instead of the actual video because it's really bad, but I think it should be seen.

H/T to Namaste.

Election Day -- D Minus 9!

Just a gentle reminder of what we need to do --

With thanks to Ray Stevens.

Focus on the Green Goal

Stay on message.  Kick the bums out.  A Pelosi-less Congress is a happy Congress.  Do it for the environment!

Available here.

"Cash For Clunkers," Chapter Two

Is anyone really surprised? 

Reports published at the end of August verify that the "Cash for Clunkers" program did more harm than good.  On Monday, Motley Fool commented on the diminished supply, increased demand, and skyrocketing prices in the used car market (emphasis mine):

Last year's $3 billion program to get folks to trade in old cars on new ones turned out to be popular -- and the "clunkers" provision of the program required the destruction of the whopping 690,000 cars that got traded in, even if they were fairly new and nice. AutoNation (NYSE: AN) alone sent 10,000 to the scrapyard.

Not only is the supply of used cars all fouled up, the program also caused a whopping impact on today's market for new cars.  Speedtv reports:

The distortion in U.S. auto sales caused by last year’s Cash for Clunkers program has resulted in some disappointing predictions for this year’s August sales and the industry’s recovery rate.

While I didn't blog specifically about the Cash for Clunkers program, I did poke a little fun at it last year, referring to the need for a "Cash for Crustaceans" program after buying a piece of unexpectedly expensive fish.  But, even though I never mounted the anti-Cash-for-Clunkers soapbox, I can distinctly recall thinking what a bone-headed idea it was to destroy a bunch of perfectly serviceable automobiles.  I still think it was a bone-headed idea that will continue to cause unpleasant after-effects.

So, just call me Madame Moogie, the Not-so-Mysterious Psychic, Predictor of the Obvious.

Maybe blog-buddy Buck should reconsider that Caddy -- the industry could use his support!