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2010-12-13T22:06:00.001-08:00

www.draftgates2012.com

Heehee

2009-02-10T09:14:00.001-08:00

The ACLU says Obama's position on information relating to "extraordinary rendition" is... wait for it... "more of the same"!

Good for Obama for accepting that the realities of the office bear strongly on the extent of his adoption of campaign rhetoric as policy.

Obama chooses Fear over Hope

2009-02-10T07:12:00.000-08:00

I think this whole stimulus package fiasco has let the American public see Obama's true colors. He campaigned against the politics of fear. He campaigned against "politics as usual". He campaigned on the idea that if we believe hard enough and say it loud enough, we really can save Tinkerbell. Or something about hope...

But when push has come to shove, what has he done? Mocked the opposition, and declared that "failure to act will turn a crisis into a catastrophe". Sounds like someone has read the Karl Rove playbook recently.

He is dangerously close to abandoning all of the public goodwill he came in with in favor of a bill that is objectively terrible. He could very easily stand up against the Dems in the house and demand they turn this bill from a pork laden spending bonanza into a focused and timely stimulus package, but instead he has chosen to resort to fear mongering to try and rally some semblance of support for a bill that has far more public opposition than support.

So much for the audacity of hope.

Executive Compensation Caps

2009-02-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

I thought the $500,000/year limit on executive compensation at companies receiving bail-out funds was really interesting when Obama et al. announced it yesterday. I don't know enough to opine on the efficacy of the cap, but I was curious to see the unintended consequences (mass exodus of talented executives from bailed-out companies? could they still live in super-expensive Manhattan?)

Unfortunately, it seems the cap was little more than political grandstanding, as it does not apply retroactively to companies who have already received public money and does not limit their very valuable stock options:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=azVLk.22AkLI

Politics as usual. Weak, Mr. President. Very weak.

Memo to Aspiring Government Officials

2009-02-03T10:59:00.000-08:00

Pay your stinking taxes.

To date, Richardson, Killefer, and Daschle are all out. I'll miss Richardson and his wiggly jowels (he was a huge NAFTA supporter), but at least his replacement is pro-free trade as well. Daschle's departure makes me smile... might postpone the permanent and irreparable destruction of American health care. Didn't know anything about Killefer, but if she's a top dog at McKinsey, she must be talented.

Question for the readers: how damaging are these three withdrawn nominees (and a fourth - Geithner - confirmed despite tax problems) to the credibility of Obama's fledgling administration, if at all?

Where's the Outrage?

2009-01-28T12:29:00.001-08:00

URGENT: Go to this WSJ editorial and read the details of the "economic stimulus", drafted entirely by - and for - the Democrats.

I defy anyone to explain to me why this bill should pass as it's currently drafted. This is not a stimulus bill. This is not an engine for job growth. This is a pork-barrel grab-bag full of goodies for dozens of of the most loyal Democratic interest groups and organizations. Oh, and it comes with an $825 BILLION price tag. That number might not seem impressive, considering the checks Congress has been doling out lately, but let's try to put that figure in perspective, shall we?

- That's $6,000 for every American worker or $7,500 for every American household, cold hard cash.

- That's a $48,000 scholarship for every single college student in America (the average cost of four years of tuition at a state university is only $28,000).

- That's enough money to fund 41,250 entrepreneurs with an initial investment of $20 million apiece (which is ten times the amount of the average venture capital start-up investment) - no telling how many jobs that would create.

- That could buy over 1,000 offshore oil rigs and run them for a year, employing hundreds of thousands of workers and pulling millions of barrels of oil out of our seabeds in the process.

And on it goes. You get the point.

Anway, after you read the details of this bill, get mad. Send a letter. Call your congressman. Heck, call twice. Any so-called representative who votes in favor of this bill should be thrown in jail for treason.

Ok, treason is a little harsh. But they should at least lose their jobs in the next election. The promise of a new era of bipartisanship are gone; it was nice for the six days it lasted. The Democrats are going to ram this "stimulus" through the House (and may have already as I type), and the Senate is sure to follow; meanwhile, my children and yours will be able to look forward to the monumental debt from this governmental giveaway hanging over their collective shoulders for the rest of their lives.

It's a sad day for America (and not the first sad day we've had under President Obama, as my colleagues have pointed out). Let's hope things get better from here.

Quick and Dirty

2009-01-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

International clinics that perform abortions will receive funding.

Gitmo is being closed.

Pelosi and Obama himself have reminded Republicans (that are opposing the stimulus package) that, "They (the Democrats) Won".

The executive order that prevented embryonic stem cell research has been lifted and the FDA has approved continued research.

Geithner (a man who evaded his own income tax) has angered the Chinese with incediary comments about currency manipulation.

I can't wait to find out what will happen on Day 5...

*I am not giving up complete hope, but my personal level of disappointment is hard to ignore.

Lost

2009-01-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

In honor of last night's Season 5 premier, I decided that those of us who watch Lost (which should be everyone if you know what's good for you) should pay homage to the old Citizen Dave Lost threads and discuss our wacky theories in the comments section.

Basketball and Politics

2009-01-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

As I sat on my couch on this momentous day I pondered the realities of having Barack Hussein Obama in the White House. I watched as he walked pass Jesse Jackson Jr., Diane Feinstein, the Biden family and then finally to the podium where John Glover Roberts issued the Oath of Office. If he is to be judged by the company he kept on the podium today then I am slightly concerned (I digress).

I wondered what influence the cackling hyenas, that are the Democratic Congress, would have on this seemingly stoic man. Will he allow (in his inner circle) the "trailblazer" and freshly confirmed Senator Burris (don't even get me started!), will he allow Hillary to prance around the Oval Office playing president, will he let Tom Daschle tear down American Healthcare, will the economic stimulus be a handout or a foundation to be built upon?.

or

Will he seek the advice of his proven and tested Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, or ask the counsel of Gen. Shinseki who has proven himself not only in multiple administrations but has also led our uniformed men in battle, will he listen to Arne Duncan when he tells him that school choice must be a part of education reform.

Listening to his Inaugural Address, I awaited the answers to these questions or at least a chance to read some underlying tones of his rhetoric - it is at this time that I found myself in a state of surprise. After not so subtlety bashing President Bush and his policies (seems to be done by everyone Rep. or Dem.) he began to make comments such as , "We will defeat the terrorists...end social programs that don't work...we will not apologize for our way of life...America is the land of opportunity for all." And just for good measure he even quoted scripture! Where was the talk about ending the War and repealing the Bush tax cuts? I say, is this man a Democrat?

After the speech I asked this very question to one of my liberal acquaintences and his response was unsettling, "Obama governs like he plays basketball. Fake to the right and then cut hard left." I for one hope he learns a new move.

Blah

2009-01-18T05:45:00.001-08:00

The blog is still alive.

Its writers evidently have nothing to say.

We hope that will change soon.

BCS Bowl Pickem - Final Update and Thoughts

2009-01-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

Well there you have it. Florida tosses Big Game Bob and the OU Sooners for its second national title in three years, and with the hopes of the Sooner Nation goes another wonderful year of college football. Can't believe it's already over.

First, the final leaderboard in our Bowl Pickem Challenge - congrats to Dave, Mimi and Pops, and yours truly! I hope you guys enjoyed this as much I as did... as pointed out in the comments numerous times, it really made the bowl season interesting and enjoyable. Here's to next year!

1. Franchise - 66/100
2. Dave - 65/100
3. Mimi and Pops - 61/100
4. Jason - 51/100
5. D&K - 50/100
6. Goose - 46/100

Thoughts on the national championship are welcome in the comments. I'll kick things off by saying that while Florida's offense looked good as it cut the OU defense to ribbons, neither team looked as impressive as a) USC or b) Utah. I think Florida has earned the number one spot by succeeding in this system, but there is no reason why Utah should end up lower than number two (and they certainly have a strong argument for number one).

OU will remember that game as the game of missed opportunities, but it was clear that they didn't deserve to win the national championship. As Dave pointed out earlier, they have much more in common with Ohio State at this point than any Big XII fan would care to admit.

Speaking of the Big XII, is it possible we were significantly overrated this season? I hate to judge a conference/division on its performance in bowls, since bowls are just a single game against a wildcard opponent, but if the Big XII south was as good as hyped, its Big Boys wouldn't have gone 1-for-4 (and very nearly 0-for-4).

I

BCW Bowl Pickem - Update the Penultimate

2009-01-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a heck of a game, but with Tulsa spanking Ball State in the GMAC Bowl, the game has been called for yours truly. Although I will still be cheering heartily for OU, because if they lose, I feel like my victory will be somewhat hollow.

1. Franchise - 66/93 (+8)
2. Dave - 58/93 (+5)
3. Mimi and Pops - 54/93 (+8)
4. Jason - 51/93 (+8)
5. D&K - 50/93 (+8)
6. Goose - 46/93 (+5)

Powered by his strong early picks, Dave has secured at least a share of 2nd place - Jason can take a share of 2nd as well if OU wins. In that case, D&K become 3rd/4th, Mimi and Pops 5th, and Goose is the caboose.

If Florida pulls off a victory, no change to the leaderboard above.

It's been a great game, guys! Thanks a lot for playing. I'll give one more update on Friday morning.

BCS Bowl Pick Em - Update 9

2009-01-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

The last two days were busy for bowl watchers and had plenty of upsets to keep things interesting. Strangely enough, some of the most notable upsets (Ole Miss destroying Tech, Utah embarrassing Bama) had no effect whatsoever on our leaderboard, as no one called the winner correctly. So here are our updated standings:

1. Franchise - 58/85 (+3)
2. Dave - 53/85 (+0)
3. Mimi and Pops - 46/85 (+3)
4. Jason - 43/85 (+1)
5. D&K - 42/85 (+2)
6. Goose - 41/85 (+1)

Picks and analysis in the comments!

2009-01-02T05:43:00.001-08:00

Another day, another Bowl Pickem Update! Biggest news of the night - yours truly has overtaken Dave for possession of first place by the slimmest of margins, and he and I are putting some distance between us and the rest of the pack. It's anybody's game for third place at this point; even Goose has jumped back into the fray with 4 out of 5 correct picks yesterday.

1. Franchise - 55/73 (+20)
2. Dave - 53/73 (+17)
3. Mimi and Pops - 4373 (+12)
4. Jason - 42/73 (+12)
5a. D&K - 40/73 (+15)
5b. Goose - 40/73 (+17)

11 points on the line tonight. Your picks are in the comments.

BCS Bowl Pick Em - New Year Update

2009-01-01T07:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Smorgusblog New Year! Big night last night in the pickem league - 14 points were on the line for our intrepid pickers. Storylines of the night: Nostredavus's golden run hits a speed bump, Goose shows signs of life, Jason scores big, and the Franchise steals 2nd place from Mimi and Pops. Huge day today, with the year's first two BCS games elevating the stakes - 20 points total on the line.

Leaderboard:

1. Dave - 36/53 (+4)
2. Franchise - 35/53 (+14)
3. Mimi and Pops - 31/53 (+4)
4. Jason - 30/53 (+10)
5. D&K - 25/53 (+6)
6. Goose - 23/53 (+12)

Same as yesterday, remaining picks inside in the comments. with some analysis.

2008-12-31T11:55:00.000-08:00

Defying all conventional wisdom, Oregon upsets Oklahoma State in the 4-pt Holiday Bowl. No one in the ENTIRE WORLD saw this coming, except of course our leaderboard leader, Dave, who extends his lead and continues to make me think that he cheated somehow.

1. Dave - 32/39
2. Mimi and Pops - 27/39
3. Franchise - 21/39
4. Jason - 20/39
5. Dustin and Katherine - 19/39
6. Goose - 11/39

Astoundingly, Goose got zero games right again. One would think that the law of averages would eventually work out in his favor. But the game's not out of reach, friend! Take heart! There's still a plethora of high-value games left.

Also, click into the comments to see everyone's remaining picks.

The Democratic Carousel

2008-12-31T05:49:00.000-08:00

The Democrats swept to political majority in the 2006-2008 election cycles after almost a decade of Republican incompetence, nepotism, and yes, corruption. Less than two months after seizing the reins of power on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, the Democrats seem determined to give the floundering Repubs a run for their money in all those areas. The Wall Street Journal sums it up:

So to recap all of this change you can believe in: A Kennedy and Cuomo are competing to succeed a Clinton in New York; the skids are greased for a Biden to replace a Biden in Delaware; one Salazar might replace another in Colorado; and a Governor charged with political corruption in Illinois wants one of his cronies to succeed the President-elect. Let's just say we're looking forward to 2009.

The Dems would have to work hard to govern worse than the Republicans have over the last 8 years, but they sure are off it a good start.

BCS Bowl Pick Em - Update 7

2008-12-30T04:25:00.000-08:00

Good picking all - everyone got the Alamo Bowl correct (yay Mizzou!) and almost everyone picked up points elsewhere. No change in the leaderboard, although Jason's making a strong run at 3rd place.

1. Dave - 27/32
2. Mimi and Pops - 24/32
3. Franchise - 19/32
4. Jason - 17/32
5. Dustin and Katherine - 16/32
6. Goose - 11/32

BCS Bowl Pick Em - Update 6

2008-12-28T16:47:00.000-08:00

Dave stretches his lead with three correct 3-pt picks, while Mimi and Pops stay hot on his heels with three correct picks of their own. As for the rest of the field, yours truly remains just average, Jason hurdles D&K for fourth place, and Goose appears to have thought that he was supposed to pick the losers of these games.

1. Dave - 21/25
2. Mimi and Pops - 17/25
3. Franchise - 14/25
4. Jason - 11/25
5. Dustin and Katherine - 10/25
6. Goose - 7/25

BCS Bowl Pick Em - Update 5

2008-12-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

Florida Atlanic wins the one-point Motor City Bowl! The Franchise slides up into a tie for second place.

1. Dave - 12/16
2. Mimi and Pops - 8/16
2. The Franchise - 8/16
4. Dustin and Katherine - 7/16
5. Jason - 5/16
6. Goose - 4/16

BCS Bowl PIck Em - Update 4

2008-12-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! The show must go on!

Astoundingly, Notre Dame annihilated Hawaii last night in a 3pt match-up, propelling Dave to sole possession of first place on our leaderboard. From now on, the leaderboard will show each player's points versus the total points available to date:

1. Dave - 11/15
2. Mimi and Pops - 8/15
3. Franchise - 7/15
4. Dustin and Katherine - 6/15
5. Jason - 5/15 (last update had a typo)
6. Goose - 4/15

Now get off the internet and go spend time with your families!

BCS Bowl Pick Em - Update 3

2008-12-24T07:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve! In our first 4-point game of the Bowl Season, TCU overcame a 13-point deficit in the Poinsetta Bowl to give Boise State its first loss of the season. With the Horned Frogs' victory, our leaderboard shifts dramatically:

1a. Mimi and Pops - 8 pts
1b. Dave - 8 pts
3. Franchise - 7 pts
4. Katherine and Dustin - 6 pts
5. Jason - 4 pts*
6. Goose - 1 pt

*The Rules Committee met this week to discuss Jason's appeal, and I'm pleased to say that they ruled in his favor. He's officially in the game as of today. I think the spa gift certificates helped his case a lot.

BCS Bowl Pick Em - Day 2 Results

2008-12-22T06:03:00.001-08:00

After Southern Miss's exciting overtime win over the Men of Troy, the leaderboard looks like this:

1. Katherine - 6 pts
2a. Dave - 4 pts
2b. Mimi and Pops - 4 pts
4. Franchise - 3 pts
5a. Goose - 1 pt
(5b. Jason - 1 pt)

Tonight the TCU Horned Frogs and the Boise State Somethings clash in the Poinsetta Bowl, which, if you'll notice, is a FOUR point game. Depending on the outcome, the leaderboard could look significantly different tomorrow morning. Check back for results!

Editor's note - Jason, a latecomer to the game, submitted his picks for special consideration by the SmorgusBlog editors, notwithstanding the clearly stated rule that the picks had to be completed by the first bowl game. He was denied entrance to the game by the editors, but the SmorgusBlog Constitution affords him a mandatory appeal to the Rules Committee for a final determination of his eligibility. His name and points total will appear in parentheses while his case is under review.

BCS Bowl Pick Em - Day 1 Results

2008-12-21T05:34:00.001-08:00

AFter opening day of Bowl Season, here's how the leaderboard stands:

1. Katherine George - 5 points. A courageous pick of Arizona in the upset powered Katherine to an early lead. I'd like to note that her husband deserves no credit for these picks in any way.

2. Dave - 4 points. Dave picks three out of four opening day games correctly but misses the big money game. Nevertheless, four points is a solid showing.

3. Mimi and Pops - 3 points. Mimi and Pops are in the middle of the pack. Got nipped by those feisty Arizonans, just like the rest of us.

4. Franchise - 2 points. Poor showing from yours truly. It's ok, though, my BCS picks will win the day.

5. Goose - 1 point. Nice pick on the St. Petersburg Bowl, Goose.

Thanks George!

2008-12-19T05:55:00.000-08:00

How silly we all were to think that the politics of the Auto Bailout would be debated and decided by the legislative branch... you remember the one. They're supposed to pass the laws and represent the people?

Evidently George knows better than the Senate and the American people to whom it listened. Maybe GM is donating to his library or something.

Auto Bailout

2008-12-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

Your lovable Smorgusblog editors have a lively disagreement on the efficacy of the proposed bailout of the American auto industry (see a few posts below). But that's what we love - disagreement, dissent, and intelligent dialogue. We're kind of like Roger Ailes' fantasy-world Fox News: fair and balanced. And in the interest of that balance, I offer you a WSJ article that makes a clean case against the auto bailout. Comments and discussion are, as always, demanded. I mean welcome.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122895755096596653.html

ps Go play the Bowl Pick Em game!

BCS Bowl Pick Em

2008-12-10T06:02:00.000-08:00

With the college football regular season all finished up, Smorgusblogians worldwide are left to ponder what will become of this illustrious blog, as 90% of our posts this fall have been related to college football in some way.

Well ponder no more, friends, for we have a few more football posts in us. Let me officially announce our latest brainchild and perhaps our most brilliantest plan yet: the Smorgusblog BCS Bowl Pick Em Game! It's really pretty simple:

1. Take a look at the bowl matchups here.

2. Click into the comments and make (all) of your picks (unfortunately there isn't an easier way to do this for us non-web programmers). Take your time, but just remember that you have to get all your picks in before the first bowl game on December 20th.

3. Winners (first, second, and third place) will be announced after the BCS National Championship game on January 8, 2009. First place will get a prize, which we will unveil in the coming weeks.

As you pick, be mindful that not all of the bowls are equally weighted. Thus, someone could miss all the minor bowls but still win the game on the success of their major bowl picks. The points distribution is as follows:

7 points: BCS National Championship
5 points: Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange
4 points: Poinsetta, Capital One, Holiday, Sun, Cotton, Chickfila, Alamo
3 points: GMAC, Gator, Champs, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Outback, Meineke, Emerald
2 points: PapaJohn, Armed Forces, Insight, Humanitarian, Music City, Eagle, Liberty
1 point: International, Texas, New Mexico, St Pete, Motor City, New Orleans, Independence

Happy picking!

Unfiltered Thoughts on College Football

2008-12-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

Just a few thoughts along the lines of College Football - since the last blog is a little stale.

tOSU is in deep.

Obama is making some good decisions early (minus Hillary) and the push for a playoff system is definitely one of them.

The Pope must have pulled some strings because there is no way within the realm of college football that Notre Dame should be leaving South Bend (much less for Hawaii).

Texas got screwed, but by that account so did t tech - so t.u. can zip the lip.

Florida takes the Mythical National Championship in a tight one.

Utah doesn't belong on the same field as any of the teams I have mentioned, except ND - they would be a great practice squad to help Utah prep for Alabama.

And just a little shout out for the Pac-10, the only team worse than UCLA is Washington (and that rounds out the nation's bottom two.)

I'm out...

Idiots/Congress Continues to Get Lapped by Reality

2008-11-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

The title may be too harsh...but wait...no it isn't. The Democrats' decision to stall on The Big Three (TB3) Bailout vote is a lose/lose situation for both people that are for and those against the proposed spending to save the American automotive industry. The fact that Reid, Turkey Neck McGee (Dodd), and Pelosi (combined they are the Three Stooges) are trying to pass this off of as a discretionary measure, is just lip service for the Blue Dogs and Repulicans that threatened to kill the bill from the start. The fact of the matter is that on December 8 the "Three Stooges" will be 100% behind whatever TB3 brings back to the table.

By this time, the already anemic market will have two more weeks without any good news (combined with the instability of the TB3 non-decision) , and we will see another 9-12% shaved off of the Dow. This will be enough for most Congressman to justify backing the plan on December 8 as they bend to the will of the deepening recession. Instead of the taxpayers floating 25 billion today we will do it tomorrow. What's the difference you say? The difference is that making a decision today (for or against) would have left us in a better situation for tomorrow. What could they have done instead...

Put the bailout to a vote and let it ride. The outcome would be a probable vote of nay and the stock market could have accounted for the loss today and we could of at least taken the guessing game out the picture. TB3 would fail in the relatively near future, there would be severe short term market ramifications, followed by a slow blood letting of employees. But market capitalism would have taken it's course and the taxpayers would not be accruing more debt.--If the bill had passed then we would have seen a stop to the slide today and some wind put into the sails of a market that is willing to do cartwheels for a cookie. A long term arrangement of how to handle the TB3's organizational and executive structure would have become dialogue on the House floor and if it were passed then TB3 could be working towards a brighter future.

Or you can do what we always do and postpone the decision. It won't give the market the jump that it could of provided today had the vote resulted in a "Yes" - and if the bill were shot down at least we would have some resolution and we could move on permanently. If (and when, in my opinion) the bill passes on December 8 it will be too little, too late (sound familiar...cough...cough...$700 Billion). It will not provide sufficient liquidty to keep TB3 alive long enough to implement the proposals that they will bring to Congress on 12/8. So TB3 will crash and burn with $25 Billion in their pockets that provided no real boost to anyone in the first place. If it does not pass one December 8 then what could have occured today will happen anyway, it's just that the market will be that much weaker when it does.

Awww, the perils of a recession. Wouldn't they be easier to deal with if we had leaders running the nation.

*Meanwhile back at the ranch Henry Paulson is going on a "victory" tour. I listened to his address live from The Reagan Library and had to turn it off after 15 minutes. At one point in the open question portion after Paulson had finished talking about the steps he had taken to save the country from a financial meltdown, a man approached the microphone and asked when the financial meltdown would end? Paulson's response "(slight laughter) I don't know I wish I could tell you."

Am I taking crazy pills?

Big XII Elimination Challenge - Week 12

2008-11-17T09:38:00.000-08:00

Well... it's down to just me and Kyle, considering Kansas St. got walloped last week.

Here are the matchups for this week:

Iowa St. @ Kansas St.

Texas Tech nasties @ Oklahoma

Hope you kept a team available, Kyle.

Let Them Die

2008-11-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

... the Big 3 of American Auto, that is. Decades of terrible business decisions coupled with the oppressive force of the auto unions have led them to the brink of destruction. Stupidly and expectedly, the Democratic Congress wants to give them a safety net. Terrible idea, for many reasons. But more on this later.

I just wanted to point out the lunatic juxtaposition of this bailout plan with this glowing news story about Ford's newest innovation. It is better fuel economy? Or maybe a viable alternatively-fueld engine? Or maybe just a reliable car that doesn't break down every 3 years?

No. It's a "speech engine" for your entertainment system. Brilliant. While Japan, South Korea, and now China and India are making better, more efficient cars more cheaply, our auto makers are fiddling with music gadgets.

Just the sort of thing taxpayers should be subsidizing, no?

Big XII Elimination Challenge - Week 11

2008-11-11T14:12:00.001-08:00

Here are this week's matchups:

Saturday, Nov. 15

Texas @ Kansas

Texas A&M @ Baylor

Oklahoma St. @ Colorado

Nebraska @ Kansas St.

Missouri @ Iowa St.

Quick Note: Please look ahead to next week and realize there are only 2 Big XII games. So if you only have one team that you haven't picked playing next week, you are going to be forced to choose them. I'm reminding you guys, cause I would hate to win on a technicality when I would so clearly win otherwise.

Thoughts

2008-11-05T05:45:00.000-08:00

UPDATED 9:57AM CST

I have many thoughts about the results of yesterday's election, and most of them are so disjointed that trying to put them into a coherent post would be futile. So I'm just going to bullet-point them.

Another thing - the general tone of these thoughts will be positive for two reasons. First, if I start pouting I'm likely to cry. Don't want my mascara running at work. Second, this blog has spent the last 8 months on the negative portends of a future (and now inevitable) Obama administration. It's time to look on the bright side.

- It will be nice to have an intelligent president, or rather, one that comes across as intelligent. I think Bush is smart, but every speech of his is like a slasher film starring the English language as the screaming blonde who dies a bloody death. Obama is slick, smooth, and polished.

- Blacks in America have been so maligned throughout the history of this country. I don't believe that the sins of the past justify victimhood of the present, but it was touching to see and hear so many of them express happiness and a sense of healing in the ascendency and success of Barack Obama. Only in America, friends.

- Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio played a clip of an interview they did with Obama a few weeks ago in which Obama declared his passionate support for a college football playoff system. If I had heard this earlier, it may have swayed my vote. I'm kidding. Maybe. If he signs an executive order to that effect, I swear on Figaro's grave that I'll vote for him in 2012.

- This is a great opportunity for us Christians to put our faith into action. We're called by God to honor and respect the leaders He chooses, like them or not. So let's step up to the plate and show an unbelieving world that we submit to the authorities that God has put over us, even when it's not easy to do.

- McCain's loss last night clears the path for Jindal and Pawlenty to step into the national spotlight and lead the Republicans out of this dry and wasted wilderness. That's a good thing.

- John Cornyn won reelection! This race hasn't really been close, but a few years ago, when I worked for his office, they were far less than certain that he'd have a second term. Senator Cornyn works so hard for Texas, and he is a man of unshakeable integrity, deep faith, and an abiding love for his country and state. He's not an ideologue, but he's also not a pushover. We need more senators like him. Congratulations, Senator Cornyn!

I have more thoughts, which I'll post as the day goes by. God bless America!

Election Day is Upon Us!

2008-11-04T05:41:00.001-08:00

After an exhausting and historic campaign, Election Day 2008 is finally here. I can remember four years ago, waking up in my dorm room and watching Fox News as President Bush cast his ballot in Crawford, Texas. That day ended joyfully for me. Today, probably not. But I want to make a few comments on what has been on my mind as I try to put all of this in perspective.

First, God is in control. That's comforting to me. He's bigger than McCain or Obama, and his master plan for America will come to pass, regardless of who wins today.

Next, Republican or Democrat, we should all be celebrating that today we can go to the polls and by casting a ballot choose the next leader of this country. That's just not the case in many other countries even today. It's kind of flattering - these 24 months and hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent earning YOUR vote, and mine. We the People are still in charge of selecting the men and women who run this country, and we should all take that responsibility very seriously.

Final point - prepare for chaos in the next few weeks. I think it is highly unlikely that a winner will be decided tonight - I think one will be declared for sure by an irresponsible and jumpy media, but not decided. I fear that voter fraud, absentee ballots, faulty equipment, and lawsuits are in our immediate future, and it will be very interesting to see how it all shakes out.

Midseason College Football Championship Predictions

2008-11-04T05:38:00.000-08:00

Since November is officially upon us and the college football season is swiftly racing towards the ignoble end known as the Bowl Championship Series, it's high time that Smorgusblog weighs in on the title contenders.

For those of you who might not follow college football closely, the powers that be have repudiated any sort of playoff system to decide the season's champion. In its place remains a single bowl game, the participation in which is determined by a spiderweb of polls, computer rankings, and committee votes. The BCS, as it's known, is a disappointment to all parties involved, yet somehow it survives. Instead of letting the NCAA football players compete for a national championship on the field of play, the games's highest trophy remains mired in controversy and angst for the forseeable future.

But I digress. Rather than belabor the point of how terrible the BCS is for the sport, here are our thoughts and predictions on the contenders vying for a spot in that dog-and-pony show:

Penn State Nittany Lions
Current Record: 9-0
Current BCS Rank: 3
Games remaining: At Iowa, Indiana, #18 Michigan State
Chance of playing in the title game: Very high
Discussion:
Penn State has the inside track to the national championship game. Yes, it's true, the Big 10 is still as weak as ever. Yes, it's true, the Big 10 champion would probably be shut out of the game if there were two other zero-loss teams left standing on Selection Sunday. But I don't think that's going to happen. I predicted back in October, the day after Penn State went to Wisconsin and put a smack down on the Badgers, that the unbeaten Nittany Lions would play for the title. I stand by the prediction and put their odds very high.

Alabama Crimson Tide
Current Record: 9-0
Current BCS Rank: 1
Games remaining: at #13 LSU, Mississippi State, Auburn, SEC Championship
Chance of playing in the title game: High
Discussion:
The SEC has traditionally been a BCS conference powerhouse, and this year is no exception. If Alabama can run the table, they will have beaten LSU, Clemson, Georgia, Arkansas, and Tennessee on the road - no small feat in a conference where every week is a potential landmine. Plus, Alabama will likely play a red-hot Florida team in the SEC Championship game, where the winner will make a very strong case for itself to play Penn State in the national championship. I think that winner is going to be Alabama, and the Tide will roll into the national championship game for the first (and probably not last) time in the Saban era.

Texas Tech Nasty-Raiders
Current Record: 9-0
Current BCS Rank: 2
Games remaining: #9 Oklahoma State, at #4 OU, Baylor
Chance of playing in the title game: Low
Discussion:
Full disclosure - I hate the Nasty-Raiders. Hate hate hate. It makes me violently ill to see them win, to see them legitimized. But I shall attempt to make an unbiased prediction of their national championship chances.

Unbiased prediction: no chance in hell. They're high on themselves right now, and rightly so, for knocking off Texas - strike that, embarrassing Texas - in front of their home fans. They dominated both sides of the ball, and if it weren't for two or three miraculous plays, the game wouldn't have been nearly as close as it was. Nevertheless, all the Nasty-Raiders did Saturday was spoil the Big XII's chance to play in the title game. Texas was our last best hope, the Best of the Unbeatens, and now that they've lost, it's likely that the Big XII will be on the outside looking in again this year, simply because I don't think Tech can win out the rest of their season. I'll be the first to say that if they can, hat's off, they deserve to play in the game. But they have to beat Oklahoma State next week and then drive up the road to Norman and play a Sooner team who is hungry to redeem their loss in Lubbock last year. I think OU will redeem said loss, and Tech will fall from the unbeatens.

So what happens then? If OU beats Tech, then OU, Tech, and Texas will be in a three way tie for first place in the Big XII south. Who plays in the Big XII championship game? Well dear reader, Smorgusblog has done this research so you don't have to. Here are the tie-breaker rules as promulgated by the Big XII, as well as how it shakes out with respect to these three teams:

1. The records of the three teams against each other will be compared. Tied. All would have only one loss.

2. The records of the three teams within their division will be compared. Tied. All would have one Big XII South loss.

3. The records of the three teams will be compared against the next highest placed teams in their division in order of finish (4, 5 and 6). Still tied. They all lost to each other.

4. The records of the three teams will be compared against all common conference opponents. STILL tied. This is ridiculous.

5. The highest-ranked team in the first Bowl Championship Series Poll following the completion of Big 12 regular-season conference play shall be the representative. This is where it gets interesting. OU is currently #6 and Texas #4. If OU can top Tech, they might leapfrog Texas in the BCS standings. Add their late win to the fact that they beat #12 TCU earlier in the season (quality wins count in the computer), and OU might come out on top. But more about them later.

All said and done, Tech would have to win out to play in the national championship game, and it's just not going to happen. If they don't, they won't even make it to the Big XII championship. Tough cookies. Did I mention I hate them?

Florida Gators
Current Record: 7-1
Current BCS Rank: 5
Games remaining: at Vandy, South Carolina, Citadel, at #22 Florida State
Chance of playing in the title game: Moderate to High
Discussion:
The Gators have the strongest chance of the current one-beatens to play for the title in January. They have a relatively easy schedule remaining, they are white-hot right now, and if they can knock off Alabama in the SEC title game, they should make a strong case for themselves against the one-loss Big XII winner. For the Gators to play, they have to beat Alabama, Tech has to lose, and the Big XII South winner would have to either lose or win unconvincingly in its title game. Decent chances.

Texas Longhorns
Current Record: 8-1
Current BCS Rank: 4
Games remaining: Baylor, at Kansas, Texas A&M
Chance of playing in the title game: Moderate to High
Discussion:
Why, Texas?? Whyyyyyyy? One catch! One stop! So disappointing. Oh well, moving on. Texas has a more outside-ish shot. Tech would really have to lose to Oklahoma State to put OU and Texas in a 2-way tie for first (Texas wins, because they beat OU head to head). It could happen. They need to finish their season strong (which they will) and pray for an upset in Lubbock.

USC Trojans
Current Record: 7-1
Current BCS Rank: 7
Games remaining: #21 Cal, at Stanford, Notre Dame, at UCLA
Chance of playing in the title game: Moderate
Discussion:
USC may be the most undeserving top-10 team in the nation. They had a patty-cake nonconference season (any nonsense about Ohio State notwithstanding), and they lost to a not-so-good Oregon State team on the road. They have been unimpressive, especially given their talent level, but because they lost so early in the season, they've been able to stealthily creep up the rankings as other unbeatens fall. Now they sit at #7, but their chances of playing in the title game aren't nearly so remote. Comparing the one loss teams, they would have to make a case against a one-loss Big XII champion (Texas or OU most likely) and a one-loss SEC champion (if Florida beats Alabama in the title game) - an outside shot, but not impossible. If Florida drops another game and if another Big XII South powerhouse falters, look for USC to fill the void.

Oklahoma Sooners
Current Record: 8-1
Current BCS Rank: 6
Games remaining: at Texas A&M, #2 Tech, at #9 Oklahoma State
Chance of playing in the title game: Moderate
Discussion:
We went over the Sooners in the Tech post. To play in the championship, they need to win out (including beating Tech and OSU), Tech must win all the rest of their games (or else Texas wins the 2-way tie), and TCU must continue to roll. A little bit more of a long shot, but not impossible by any stretch.

Ohio State Buckeyes
Current Record: 7-2
Current BCS Rank: 11
Games remaining: Who cares
Chance of playing in the title game: Zero
Discussion:
Ding dong, the Buckeyes are dead! After getting embarrassed in the National Championship game two years in a row, the Buckeyes finally have no chance at crashing that party. In fact, I only included them in this list so I could express my happiness in the fact that the nation will be spared another debacle of a championship game courtesy of the Boys in Red.

Texas A&M Aggies
Current Record: 4-5
Current BCS Rank: Eleventy Billionth
Games remaining: #6 OU, at Baylor, #4 Texas
Chance of playing in the title game: Zero.
Discussion:
The Aggies have a serious chance of being the only team in the nation to lose the remainder of their games by a combined point margin equal to their total enrollment on campus (which is over 45,000, grad schools included). Seriously, we're that bad. I love Mike Sherman and think he'll be great long term, but boy howdy, this has been a rough year. At least we beat Army, though. Take that, future career military officers!

OFFICIAL SMORGUSBLOG NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION - Penn State v. Alabama

Wow that was a doozy of a post. Take it, share it, enjoy it, and drink it deeply. Until next year!

Big XII Elimination Challenge - Week 9

2008-11-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

Well done, all remain alive in the game. Here are this week's matchups:

Saturday, Nov. 8

Baylor @ Texas

Kansas @ Nebraska

Kansas St. @ Missouri

Iowa St. @ Colorado

Oklahoma @ Texas A&M

Oklahoma St. @ Texas Tech

Good luck to all.

Wow

2008-10-29T06:08:00.000-07:00

Corrupt is a harsh word, but when even the Washington Post is reporting the Obama campaign's acceptance of millions of dollars in "untraceable" funds, what else are we supposed to think?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102803413_pf.html

Obama's candidacy, and indeed most of his background, is full of unanswered questions. He has evaded these questions for two years now, feeding the puerile, unguided idealism of college students and guilt-ridden liberals with soaring rhetoric and verbal slight-of-hand, knowing his crowds won't review his record with a critical eye.

Unless and until I hear answers to these questions, I have to conclude that Barack obama is at best a pawn of opportunistic associates and at worst corrupt beyond measure.

Gates Interview with Newsweek

2008-10-28T06:24:00.001-07:00

There's a great interview with Sec. Gates over at Newsweek. The line I found most interesting:

Q: How do you respond to those who say the United States should take the lead against nuclear proliferation by drastically reducing its own arsenal?

A: The reality is that there are probably two dozen, perhaps 30, countries out there that would seriously consider their own nuclear deterrent if they couldn't rely on ours."

Nuclear nonproliferation is not really on many people's radar, although it is still a hot topic for hippy college students who read too much Code Pink literature. But I think Gates's response is enlightening and counterintuitive - less American nukes would mean more nukes worldwide. I'm of the mind that I'd rather have the nuclear power of the world centered in responsible, democratic hands than have two dozen smaller, less stable, more territorial countries develope their own.

Big XII Elimination Challenge - Week 8

2008-10-28T05:51:00.000-07:00

And the game marches on! Two weeks straight, no upsets, and four players still remain. I'd like to remind you all that since this is my game, I must win. It's only fair.

This week's games:

Kansas St. at Kansas

Colorado at Texas A&M

Missouri at Baylor

Iowa State at Oklahoma State

Texas at Texas Tech

Nebraska at Oklahoma

You know the drill - make your picks in the comments.

Alternative View - Forged Out of Necessity, not Desire

2008-10-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

I think we are about to commit a grand experiment as the country once did with Ronald Reagan - and it may have ramifications of which we rejoice. I know that sounds irrational, but rational thinking is not the prevailing ideaology in our country or economic situation right now.
Maybe we need to "shock the pool" and Barack Obama is just the proverbial "turd" to make it happen (think Caddyshack). I believe that the Republican Party needs massive reform and this devastating loss will be just the ticket to give that effort a kick in the butt.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Obama probably won't be enacting policies as far left as he would like to. We are still a central-right leaning nation and after two years of pure Democratic rule the country will begin to drift back to those leanings. I think if Obama is elected to a second term, that it will be very much like Clinton's later years. Not a bad deal, considering the free trade agreements, welfare reform, and The Contract With America, came out of those last four years. Of course we will need strong Republican leadership to make that happen.

I am actually looking forward to increased regulation on the securities and exchange industry (but fear the extent to which it will occur), a larger emphasis on the war in Afghanistan, and an emphasis on charter schools and teacher union abuse (although his senior education advisor is against him, I guess they forgot to talk with each other on that one). The real question lies in his actions.

Will he really focus on the necessity of parental accountability in helping our low income youth succeed (as he mentioned in his accpetance speech), will he actually increase funding for the war in afghanistan (without ruining our recent success in Iraq), will he put people on his cabinet that disagree with the liberal agenda (other than Chuck Hagel), will Joe Biden's head explode in a cabinet meeting? These are all questions that we will soon find answers to...

I for one don't love the idea of an Obama Administration, but all I can do is look for aspects of it to support, for the sake of the nation. And then hope the Republican Party can take this opportunity to come back to the table with real ideas, for all Americans, and build a base of strong leadership.

Rational Ignorance

2008-10-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Nearly every time I have a political discussion with someone who is either disinterested or uniformed about all things politic, I have to remind myself of the theory of Rational Ignorance before I spiral into a fit of rage. It infuriates me that people on both sides of the table are so easily distracted and mislead. I have friends who still tell me they believe Obama is a Muslim and others who tell me McCain is a racist. Now, whether you believe either is true is your business, but voting based on such loose conjecture has to be looked down upon.

Unless you believe that Rational Ignorance exists and plays a major role in our democracy. This theory (when applied to voting) says that the average voter does not believe their vote will matter in any given election and since it takes a good bit of time to be well informed on all the issues, a voter will make a rational choice by not informing himself. This is a widely disputed theory, but I think it makes sense in principle... and especially in an environment where polls tell people early on that the election is already over. The more a person feels that his or her vote will not affect an election, the more incentive they have to cast their vote without going to the trouble to properly inform themselves on who and what they are voting for.

It also helps to explain the single issue voter and people who vote a straight party ticket at every election (I'm not saying all or even most single issue voters and straight party liners are ignorant, just that this theory helps rationalize the marginal voter who doesn't inform himself). Because there are so many issues that evolve over time, people tend to cling to the one issue that matters most to them and base their vote on who they think will most likely defend that issue. Similarly, there are many people who vote a straight party line because they have found over time that party most resembles their views and don't feel the need to learn about the people they are actually voting for.

Now, I want to take a moment to explain that I don't in any way think this means that people who are uninformed are stupid or lazy. The whole point of this theory is to show how they are the rational ones, because they allocate their time to things they believe they can actually affect (ie. their families, their jobs, etc.). If this theory holds, it is actually the well informed voter who acts irrationally, because he spends a good deal of time informing himself on the issues when that time could have been allocated in a way that would benefit him much more positively (ie. families, jobs, etc. again).

This is one of the big problems that I see with our democratic system... you don't benefit from informing yourself about political and economic issues because your vote counts only as much as someone who, say, votes for the better looking candidate.

Losing Hope...

2008-10-21T05:53:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling pretty deflated at the outlook of this presidential election. All indicators point towards an Obama victory, and maybe even a Reagan-esque landslide. And it makes me sad for this country. It makes me sad for the millions of young lives that will be taken in the womb over the next half-century, after Obama nominates two young liberal Supreme Court justices who will vote to uphold Roe v. Wade. It makes me sad for my money and yours, because all of our taxes will rise (notwithstanding empty campaign promises to the contrary). It makes me sad for the poor and the destitute, because a new slate of patronizing government handouts will perpetuate their economic dependence for generations to come. It makes me sad for traditional people with traditional values, because they will feel an onslaught of militant liberalism, the likes of which this country hasn't felt since the 60's.

And above all, it makes me sad because of what it says about the majority of the American public who will cast their vote on Nov. 4 for a man who has not done anything more significant in his career than running for elected office. He's never made an executive decision, never stood strong while the weight of popular opinion was against him, never led in battle, never created a job, never built a building, never managed a company. He's never gotten his butt chewed for losing a deal or been praised for closing one. He's never been a leader, ever. And yet somehow, for some reason, he's two weeks away from being THE leader. The Leader of the Free World will be a man who has never led before.

But it's not just what Obama isn't that makes me sad. It's what he is. Every signpost in his record screams RADICAL, every blaring neon light in his biography warns that he might not be exactly what he says he is. 1st Corinthians 15 says: "Bad company corrupts good character." If we're to believe the Bible on this one, then Barack Obama's character is rotten to the core.

Druggie high school friends. Jeremiah Wright. Michael Pfleger. ACORN. Tony Rezko. Bill Ayers. Raila Odinga. By what measure are we to judge this man, this friend of villans? By his decisions? He hasn't made any. By his self-sacrifice? Never. By his words? Certainly we are sophisticated enough to understand that what a politician says on the stump isn't always what he believes. Can we judge a man by the company he keeps? I think so, especially when we have nothing more to go on.

But none of this seems to matter. My Fellow Americans don't seem to care at all about his scandalous past and questionable character. Despite everything in his record, Barack Obama, the friend of radicals, the would-be leader who has never led, will likely win in November. If he doesn't, if somehow McCain eeks out a victory, it will be because God has given this country mercy that we don't deserve.

I'm voting for John McCain in two weeks, not for what McCain is or what he stands for, but because a Barack Obama presidency scares me to death. My vote is an anti-vote, I'm sorry to say. I don't really like McCain all that much more than Obama. But that's the choice I have. That's the choice we all have.

God save us if we make the wrong one.

Big XII Elimination Challenge - Week 7

2008-10-20T11:43:00.001-07:00

Congrats to all... everyone stayed alive last week. Here are the matchups for this week:

Saturday, Oct. 25

Texas Tech @ Kansas

Oklahoma @ Kansas St.

Colorado @ Missouri

Baylor @ Nebraska

Oklahoma St. @ Texas

Texas A&M @ Iowa State

I Wonder If He Can Spell P-O-T-A-T-O-E....

2008-10-16T08:14:00.001-07:00

J-O-B-S - a 3 letter word! Here comes Dan Quayle pt. II, although I highly doubt that the media will let Biden's consistent and relentless idiocy dent their well-formed perception of his deep intellect.

Here's my 3 letter word for Joe Biden - D-U-M.

What a Debate

2008-10-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

So many thoughts on Wednesday night's amazingly entertaining debate. A few quick volleys:

- Barack Obama, "Constitutional scholar", declared in front of God and country tonight that the courts should abandon the rule of law in favor of his warped view of equity and social "justice." Our country, our future, and our freedom depend on the protection of the rule of law, not on the establishment of the Court of Obama with a charter to dole out the justice that it sees fit. Make no mistake, dear readers, this man's ideology is dangerous.

- Obama, in another moment of constitutional erudition, equated abortion to our freedom of speech. Wonderful. Sorry, all you minority babies who are being aborted at an alarmingly disproportionate rate, but the right to destroy your young life will be protected by President Obama's Supreme Court picks to the same extent as the Bill of Rights.

Big XII Elimination Challenge - Week 6

2008-10-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

Well we all were a play away from handing over the title to John... good thing we didn't cause we would never have heard the end of it.

Here are this week's matchups:

Saturday, Oct. 18

Texas Tech @ Texas A&M

Kansas @ Oklahoma

Kansas St. @ Colorado

Nebraska @ Iowa St.

Baylor @ Oklahoma St.

Missouri @ Texas

Be sure to make sure you are still picking teams for the first time... cause we would hate to disqualify you for picking a team twice (this means you, John)

Feds Consider Ownership Interests in Banks

2008-10-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Article here.

Nevermind this obvious step towards nationalization of the financial industry (aka socialism). I just want to point out the irony in the first line of this article:

"The U.S. Treasury Department is considering taking ownership stakes in many U.S. banks in a bid to restore confidence in the badly shaken financial system."

Really?

Confidence??

Do they really think that the federal government, that bloated waste of resources, that Tower of Incompetency, taking ownership of private industry is going to inspire confidence in anyone?

Big XII Elimination Challenge -- Week 5

2008-10-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delayed post, but I'm sure you can understand that I've been a tad busy (I am after all in the financial business). However, I figured before I jumped out the window, I would post the game schedules for this week.

Saturday Oct. 11

Texas vs. Oklahoma (played at the cotton bowl)

Kansas St. @ A&M

Iowa St. @ Baylor

Colorado @ Kansas

Nebraska @ Texas Tech

Oklahoma St. @ Missouri

Good luck everyone. Everyone except Robbie, that is... cause he got creamed last week.

My heart bleeds for the nation...

2008-10-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

As I suspected the bailout was not enough to free up the credit markets. This country is in a full recession (with the global economy hot on it's tail) and main street will start seeing it in a month. The risk of falling into a small depression is now a reality - the likes which have not been seen since the 1930's. I am not talking bread lines and 40% unemployment but I am talking 10 - 15%. We can't compare it to the 1930's because we are in a different age, but as far as job fallout and the need for federal assistance, it will be unprecedented in the modern age.

I urge the central banks of Europe* to learn from our lack of timely action (ie Congress on the bailout) and immediatley cut interest rates. England is sitting at around 4.3% on their lending rate and has the room to make a cut. If we can get some money flowing in Europe we might not have a global recession/depression. Again, I pray that I am wrong on all accounts.

*While there is no one regulatory commision or central bank for the entire EU, the Ministers of Finance of industrialized nations work very closely with each other. Numerous artilces that I have read today are asking that the head of the EU's central banks come together and make a rate cut across the board to free up credit markets.

Drudge Takes the Gloves Off

2008-10-06T06:47:00.001-07:00

Matt Drudge, the inimitable internet media king, has begun linking to anti-Obama pieces in high profile ways with more frequency as we count down to the election. Usually he's a little more measured in the "push" factor on his site, The Drudge Report, but lately his ideology has been showing its colors.

An alternate theory is that he has always been the anti-maintstream media, and maybe he's just fed up with how sycophantic the old media has been towards the Obama campaign. Either way, his site is almost single-handedly driving the high-profile anti-Obama discourse.

Joe Biden, Gaffe Machine

2008-10-06T05:52:00.001-07:00

I've always bought into the idea that Joe Biden is a thoughtful, experienced, lion of the US Senate. And when I worked on the Hill, I got the sense that he was very well respected by both his colleagues and (more importantly) the staffers. He seemed to be a bit of a windbag, but for the most part, he seemed very... Senatorial.

But then he got on the campaign trail. Gaffe followed gaffe, and I started to wonder, how smart is this guy, really? How thoughtful? A few verbal miscues should be readily forgiven. But FDR on TV as President in 1929? Come on. Biden's gaffes are so numerous, I wonder - does he think at all about what he says, or does he just make it up as he goes along?

WSJ has more on this. Apparently Biden was just making things up during the debate. He's living proof that if you just speak confidently enough, no one will question you, even if you have no idea what you're talking about.

Sing for Obama! Chant for Our Savior!

2008-10-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

Whether Republican or Democrat, these videos should creep you out.

The Great Abdication

2008-10-03T06:05:00.000-07:00

Today, we are proud to present a guest submission piece arguing a different opinion of the bailout bill than previously expressed on this blog, although his disdain for our elected officials and the abdication of their responsibilities as such are in hearty chorus with us.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So I have been sitting by idly trying to take in this whole economic situation, not taking sides on this proposed bailout bill. My inner free market society idealism has been at odds with my common sense that demands government intervention. I currently find myself on the opposing side of this bill, but will play up the devils advocate to help offset the unfettered opinions presented on this blog.

I want to describe the overall effort in addressing our credit crisis as haphazard. We appear too willing to throw billions of dollars at Wall Street, while carelessly assuming that our economy will return to normalcy. A quick look at the side effects of our hurried efforts reveals that we are allowing the same corrupt politicians and lobbyists who helped get us into this mess go unchecked in thrusting their hands into the very bill that is supposed to get us out of this mess.

In its current form, our bailout bill contains over $100 billion in proposed funding for unrelated issues that range from auto racing tracks to children’s wooden arrows. This ever-growing nonsense cheapens the severity and urgency of our economic situation. Even more disconcerting is that neither Obama nor McCain have the courage to stand up against the very action they have been campaigning against (i.e. earmarking, pork barrel spending, and fighting lobbyists). Instead, in yet another act of hypocrisy, they have both voted in favor of this bill. I wonder, where is the change now, where is hope, where is the maverick who fights corrupt Washington politics?

The final arbiter and distributor of nearly $1 trillion appears to lie solely in the hands of our Secretary of Treasury. Such unprecedented power should strike a chord of discomfort with all Americans. And unlike other privileged investors, our government will not be buying assets at discounted prices and for this reason it’s only a matter of time until Mr. Paulson is knocking on the door of congress asking for more money. Many of our nation’s most respected economists speculate this bill is only the beginning of our bailout and project the total effort required to exceed $1 trillion. Furthermore, the specifics on the methods of purchasing and oversight are unclear, which is an egregiously careless aspect giving the enormity of this bill.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of this bill is that our government will be buying the toxic debt of foreign investors. The current verbiage allows the treasury to buy debt from foreign banks as long as they have subsidiaries that operate in the US. The impact is that hundreds of billions of American taxpayer dollars are going to bail out these foreign investors.

Obviously we are in a unique and unprecedented economic crisis that, I think, warrants the protective efforts of our government. But what is asinine is the abuse infused into this bill and the sheer number of politicians, including our future president, who are willing to let such actions persist. I think this is why you see such bipartisan opposition to this bill. We should be appalled and we must demand better from our elected officials.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/20/news/economy/treasury_proposal/

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/bailout-bills-foreign-aid-program/story.aspx?guid=%7BA6967E51-FC1A-4BFC-BB93-E57327D873F6%7D&siteid=yhoof

- Contributed by loyal reader Kyle Tobin

Congress Fiddles

2008-09-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

And meanwhile, America burns. I want to echo all the comments made by my coblogger, especially with respect to the ineptitude of our elected "leaders." It's really unconscionable that yesterday, in this country's dark time of need, Congress gave us not the bipartisan leadership that we needed, but rather bickering, pettiness, and ultimately nonaction. They watched, as our markets tumbled. They were derelict in their most sacred duty - to serve the greater interests of the American public.

Yesterday, we all saw Congress attempting to drive their 15% approval rating even lower. Admittedly, Congress is at its best debating gay marriage and naming post offices, but is it too much to ask for some real problem solving in a crisis?

There are no words...

2008-09-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

It is possible that the straw has been placed and that the back will soon break. This analogy applies to two things.

Our Economy and Our Congressioanl Representatives- The failure of Congress to address the devastating losses dealt to the financial, banking, and credit industries was felt today in it's smallest form. That being the unprecedented loss of 777 points in the Dow Jones Industrial. 401(k)'s, pension funds, and anyone still sitting in the toxic pond that is Wall Street will undoubtedly be dealt a large blow to their golden years. Those with a majority of their assets invested in Wachovia and WaMu no longer have an office to go to.

The larger issue lies in credit. The thing that numbs my mind is that a majority of our Congressional Representatives do not realize that the country's companies with the highest employment rates rely on short term credit (among many other things). There is no way to measure the real time tightness of the credit market, but all signs point to a grip tighter than a dolphins "port hole". Citibank acquired Wachovia today with a balance sheet weaker than the Aggie's Defense. I hate to think it, but I am sure part of their decision was based on the fact that they thought billions of their toxic debt would be bought up with the "Bailout Plan" that failed today. All major investing firms still standing, are doing so on a peg legs. If the credit stops flowing from Citibank, JP Morgan, and Morgan Stanley, then we essentially halt. Forget Wall Street, Main Street will crash ten times harder.

I am beyond infuriated with the ongoing and persistent political pandering, peacocking, and strutting. The House Republicnas are too blinded by personal idealogy to see what is happening in reality and the Democrats did their fair share of damage in negotiations (Harry Reid). Contrary to media reports, the house Democrats are not "falling in line" either. Today's vote was 205 to 228. 95 Nays from Democrats and 132 Nays from Republicans and 1 Republican No Vote (I would like to find that 1 guy and ask him when he plans on resigning his seat!) Despite the concessions that liberals and conservatives alike made in the forming of this bill, we still can't figure this out. Pelosi can't control her House and Bush has no pull in his party, and the loser is.....every working American! I feel like I am taking crazy pills! I don't even so much if you are for or against the bill, but if you are doing so in an attempt to lay blame on others in front of cameras then shove it!

I admit that two weeks ago I was the most ardent Adam Smith fan that you could find. Yet realities of a new market, new technologies, a shifting economy, corporate malfeasance, predatory lending, and the growing number of uneducated consumers (ARM Loan signees), has let me down a more Keynesian path. Was Jefferson right? Do we need the government to protect us from ourselves? I think I am having a knee jerk reaction right now, but the foot never settles in the same place. I have faith in Washington, D.C. but not the buffoons who run it. Republicans and Democrats alike have strayed from rational thinking, service for the greater good, and practical application of government intervention.

I don't know what the answer is. I feel like a bailout last Friday would have resulted in the greatest outcome. Now anyhting may be too little too late. We had a chance to make money on this thing (not gonna get into that right now), our markets are now deprived of the blood that once filled its many veins (liquidity) and that has destroyed the opportunity for leverage.

I hope and pray that I am wrong on all accounts.

Big XII Elimination Challenge -- Week 4

2008-09-29T07:09:00.001-07:00

We have reached the fourth week of the Big XII Elimination Challenge, and not one person from last week lost. I am glad people have been doing well, and that this may last quite a few more weeks. This is where this game is going to start getting interesting, as conference play begins. Here are this week's matchups:

Saturday, Oct. 4

Kansas @ Iowa State

Oklahoma @ Baylor

Texas Tech @ Kansas St.

Texas A&M @ Oklahoma St.

Texas @ Colorado

Missouri @ Nebraska

Good luck, and remember that if you choose a team to win that you have already picked, you will lose and John will pull a "Jose Cruz" on you.

Obama Grant to Campaign Aide's Nonexistent Garden Under Investigation

2008-09-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

Wonder if this story gets any play from the national media.

This guy is as crooked as they come. Can't wait to see the degenerates he populates his White House with.

Big XII Elimination Challenge - Week 3

2008-09-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

We would like to once again say good job, as everyone who played last week advances to this week. Here are this week's matchups:

Saturday, Sept. 27

Texas A&M vs. Army

Colorado at Florida State

Texas vs. Arkansas

Kansas St. vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

Oklahoma vs. TCU

Oklahoma St. vs. Troy

Nebraska vs. Virginia Tech

Good Luck everyone!

Robin Hood Governance

2008-09-18T05:53:00.001-07:00

"We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people," Joe Biden said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Noting that wealthier Americans would indeed pay more, Biden said: "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut."

- Joe Biden, Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee

Biden isn't exactly known for his off-the-cuff verbal agility, but one wonders if this was more than just an awkward phrasing. This sort of Robin Hood tax policy has for a long time been at the core of the liberal left's election year message as they fan the flames of class conflict, attempting to set the minds of the middle-class earners against the greedy and selfish "rich." Biden's statement bothers me not because a progressive tax system in which high earners shoulder a disproportionate share of the country's tax burden isn't sometimes the natural result of certain policy decisions. For instance, the capital gains tax is a progressive tax in that high earners naturally invest a higher proportion of their earnings than do low earners (who have to spend a greater percentage of their income on the necessities) and are thus taxed on those investments.

I'm ok with that (to a point) - the government costs a lot, and it needs tax revenue to keep the lights on. I get it. But when progressiveness in the tax system becomes a policy end in itself, instead of a means to another more palatable end, then we're all in trouble. They don't tell us, "we'll raise your taxes so that the government can [blank], and that's OK, because [blank] is the right thing to do." Now it's just, "we'll raise your taxes because it's the right thing to do." Says who?

We've heard this rhetoric all year - Obama (and now Biden) have told us very explicitly that they want to raise the taxes of the highest earners (notwithstanding, of course, the fact that the top 1% of earners currently pay 40% of the taxes). But is that the goal in and of itself - high taxes for the rich and government handouts for the "middle class"? Do we really want a president who makes income redistribution a central tenet of his economic policy?

My problem with Obama Hood is actully not his robbing-the-rich - as a "high earner" in America, I have come to terms with that depressing reality. It's the redistribution part, the give-to-the-poor part, that frustrates me most. My wife and I will always give to those in need - God has blessed us richly and it is our honor to share those blessings with others. But why should Joe Biden, who gives nary a dime to charity, mandate that we open our wallets for each new handout he and Obama can think up? Why can't we choose whom we give our money to? At least when we give, we can give to organizations we know to be competent to use the money wisely. Our D+ federal government can't even hold onto its stockpiles of guns. But I digress.

The poor in this country need our help, but handouts won't do anything but drive them further into economic dependency. Barack Obama's big-government "charity" wants to give them fish and feed them for a day. (The cynic in me would add "...in order that they keep voting Democratic.") Free-market conservativism wants to teach them to fish and feed them for a lifetime. I wonder if there are no conservatives out there who can communicate that point effectively.

Big XII Elimination Challenge - Week 2

2008-09-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

It has been an eventful week for us here at smorgusblog... but we are committed to you guys whether or not we are currently evacuees.

I would like to congratulate you guys for your first week picks, as only Taylor lost. It will make it all the more fun when I win because it appears you are going to put up a fight.

That being said, here are the matchups for the week. Remember that you can only choose each team once... so no sneakiness. We are on the honor system, but it's not like it would be hard to look back to see if you already picked a team.

Wed. Sept. 17
Kansas State at Louisville

Thurs. Sept. 18
Colorado vs. West Virginia

Fri. Sept. 19
Baylor at Connecticut

Sat. Sept. 20
Missouri vs. Buffalo

Texas vs. Rice

Texas A&M vs. Miami

Kansas vs. Sam Houston St.

Texas Tech vs. Massachusetts

Iowa St. at UNLV

Good luck, and remember if you want to choose one of the earlier games, you have to post your pick the day before that game.

Big XII Elimination Challenge: Week 1

2008-09-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Week 1 of the Big XII Elimination Challenge!

Quick recap of the rules: pick one Big Xii team (in bold) to win its game. Keep track of who you pick, and take a look at the Big XII schedule before you do, because once you use a team, you can't use it again.

If your team wins, you stay in the game and play next week. If it loses, you're out.

Here are this week's Big XII games:

Kansas at USF

Iowa State at Iowa

Nevada at Missouri

Washington State at Baylor

Arkansas at Texas

Southern Methodist at Texas Tech

Missouri State at Oklahoma State

Oklahoma at Washington

New Mexico State at Nebraska

I've posted my pick in the comments as an example. Let the games begin!

Big XII Elimination Challenge

2008-09-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

Big news! Smorgusblog has decided to run a weekly game called Big 12 Elimination Challenge. It'll be super-duper fun, we swear, but we have to get high level of participation. So tell your friends!

The rules are simple: each week, you pick one Big 12 team who you are convinced will win their game on Saturday, and you write that team in the comments below the appropriate post. It's just that easy. However, and this is where strategy comes into play - you can only pick each team once. So, if you had (correctly) picked OU to beat Chattanooga, you would stay in the game but not be able to pick OU again for the rest of the season. With this rule in mind, you have to plan your picks carefully and not waste your powerhouse teams early, even though they may be more likely to win these early games than some others.

When you get a pick wrong, you lose and are out of the game. So if you had stupidly picked Texas A&M to win their season opener last Saturday, you'd be gone from the game. Last man (or woman) standing gets a wonderful prize. (Prize subject to availability. None are available.)

Remember, you only pick one team per week, so with 12 weeks left, you'll pick every team once. You must get your picks in before Saturday of each week. If there is a Wednesday or Thursday game that you want to choose, you must get your pick in the day before that game is played. We will start the thread on Monday of every week, so be ready. If multiple players remain in the game through the end of the season, the tie breaker will be the Big 12 championship game with the closest score being the winner.

We really think this game could be a ton of fun, but you have to participate every week... if you skip a week, you lose.

Look for a post later today to start things off.

Morning Notes

2008-09-08T06:01:00.000-07:00

- McCain/Palin up by 10 points among "likely" voters. No word on whether the pollsters considered dead people, but with a Chicago machine politician leading the Democratic ticket, I'd say that America's graveyards are quite "likely" to have high turnouts in November.

- Joe Biden thinks that life begins at conception, yet does not want to "impose" that view on others. So instead of risking an "imposition", he continues to support abortion - a practice that he evidently believes is murder. Brilliant.

- Tom Brady is out for the year with a torn ACL, and his replacement, Matt Cassel, has not started in a football game since high school. Brady's loss is a huge blow to New England, to be sure. It will be interesting to see if Bill Belichick, one of the best coaches in the history of the game, can somehow make lemonade from this lemon of a season opener.

- In tennis, Roger Federer and Andy Murray square off tonight in Flushing Meadows in the finals of the US Open. Federer is playing for a spot in history as the only man ever to win two different majors five times in a row (he won Wimbledon 5 times in a row and has won the Open the last 4 years). Murray is trying to become the first Brit in over 70 years to win a major. Either way, history will be made tonight in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

UPDATE - 9:17 a.m.
Point taken, snarkiness toned down. Now go play the game!

Who's the Better Orator?

2008-09-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

By anyone's count, Sarah Palin knocked her RNC speech out of the park. And she did so, according to news reports, even though the teleprompter broke down halfway through and her notes were not up to date. This news astounded me. The woman showed no signs of fluster or nerves as she gave the first and most pressure-packed keynote address of her illustrious young career to no doubt the biggest audience she had ever stood in front of. She delivered her lines with poise and panache, with grit and grace, and if I hadn't read that her teleprompter had broken, I never in a hundred years would have suspected.

But even for her many talents, certainly she doesn't compare with the King of All Orators, that vaunted paragon of the spoken word, Barack Obama. Right? If Obama's teleprompter malfunctioned, he would brush it off like so much dirt from his skinny shoulders, and he would extemporize his way through the remarks like nothing at all was wrong. Wouldn't faze him in the slightest.

... or something like that.

Morning Notes

2008-09-04T04:08:00.000-07:00

First, I want to say that Sarah Palin absolutely KILLED her RNC speech last night. Much ink will be spilled today about how she was so effective in sticking a knife in Obama's back (and doing it with a smile!) but the most important result from last night will be the enthusiasm of the Republicans. She blew those delegates away. Made converts of them all. And, I imagine, made a few watching her on TV as well. Republicans have worried about the enthusiasm gap between McCain's ticket and Obama's. Worry no longer.

Second, Joe Biden's son and brother have been sued by former business partners for some deals that went sour. I wonder, if Sarah Palin's kids had been sued, would this story have been buried on page A-9 of the Post?? She's gotten more media scrutiny in the last 5 days than Obama and Biden have in 2 years. It just makes me sick. And it's like the media isn't bothering to pretend to keep the masquerade of "objectivity" going (not that it was a very good masquerade in the first place). I mean, I had to find this link on Ann Coulter's website. Ann Coulter! Ridiculous. In fact, I'm going to link to her site for the first (and hopefully final) time, just because. Anncoulter.com.

Finally, "scientists" are now trying to convince us that marital infidelity is genetic. I feel like Smorgusblog has addressed this issue before... oh wait, we have.

Why McCain's Tax Policies Are Far Superior To Obama's

2008-09-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

This well written article by two economics professors from Harvard and Stanford lays out the real differences between what McCain and Obama will to do through their tax plans.

I think it is very important to note that McCain wants to treat the tax system as a way to incentivize job creation and economic growth, while Obama's plan is merely a way to redistribute income. It simply doesn't matter how pretty his rhetoric sounds, Obama's plan will absolutely hurt our economy... and it's not like our economy is doing so terrific right now. I defy Obama to try to explain how he will bring back jobs when he wants to further tax our corporations (who already pay the second highest tax rate in the developed world). We do not live in a fuedal system anymore, so playing Robin Hood is not going to fix our problems.

Obama's Experience

2008-09-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Oh that's rich... now Obama says that Sarah Palin's executive experience in running first a city and then an entire state is actually trumped by his experience in.... running his presidential campaign.

So.... he is qualified to be president simply because he is running for president....

Brilliant.

Hopeful Words from the Philadelphia Daily News

2008-09-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

"If McCain wins, look for a full-fledged race and class war, fueled by a deflated and depressed country, soaring crime, homelessness - and hopelessness!"

- Fatimah Ali, Philadelphia Daily News - Sept 2, 2008

Sounds reasonable - the world will literally end if we elect McCain president. And if we elect Obama, the icecaps will stop melting, Paris Hilton will join an Italian convent, and every American will sign million dollar contracts with the Yankees.

I thought this type of low-brow vitriol was confined to the pages of pimply liberal bloggers. Guess not. I for one cannot wait to watch their meltdown when John McCain wins this election. Maybe the lefties will FINALLY make good on their promises to leave the country. We should be so lucky....

As Gustav Threatens

2008-08-31T19:47:00.001-07:00

As I write, Hurricane Gustav is barreling down the Gulf of Mexico and aiming directly west of New Orleans. The coastal Louisianans have evacuated in large numbers, and the entire region is bracing for the worst. The imagery of this ordeal - the ominous clouds, the faces etched with worry - evokes powerful emotions about the last time Louisiana suffered a direct hit from a Gulf hurricane. Gustav represents a sequel to that dark chapter in American history, a chapter that saw a city decimated and its culture washed away.

As Gustav blows in, Americans will be looking at the responses from four different men, each with a crucial role (or campaigning for one): President Bush, Governor Jindal, and Senators Obama and McCain. The responses from each will reveal much about their character and ability to lead.

President Bush
If history will remember Katrina as George Bush's embarrassment, Gustav is his opportunity for redemption. Dogged by criticism about his administration's delayed response to Katrina, Bush knows that this is his chance to right the historical record. Indeed, as of this writing, he is traveling to Texas to be in the path of the hurricane, to command and direct first responders, and to once again hold the nation's hand through a devastating crisis.

America still remembers the ill-conceived photo-op of Bush thoughtfully staring down at the circling clouds of Katrina from the comfort of Air Force One. This image stood in curious contrast to our proud memories of the same man who cleared debris alongside rescue workers at the World Trade Center in blue jeans, who rolled up his sleeves and went to work. The Bush of 9/11 will not repeat the same mistakes of the Bush of Katrina. He'll get dirty with the rescue workers once again, and in so doing, he'll remind us once again why we fell in love with him as President in the first place.

Governor Bobby Jindal
A 37-year-old political prodigy, Bobby Jindal rode into office with promises to reform Kathleen Blanco's corrupt and ineffective government. His office has worked hard rebuilding and revitalizing the areas ravaged by Katrina, but now, less than 2 years into his tenure, Gustav threatens all of his administration's gains. He has already taken an important first step by ordering mandatory evacuations which have been reported successful. He must follow that success with decisiveness and coolness under pressure.

Governor Jindal knows that Gustav will make or break him on the national stage. The punditry is convinced that this rock star is a future occupant of the White House, but his response to Gustav might well determine the direction of his political future. The coming weeks can multiply his well-deserved executive luster or damn him to political purgatory. I predict the former. Bobby Jindal will emerge from Gustav, shining brightly as a brilliant, tough-as-nails executive, a new face for a Grand Old Party.

Barack Obama
In Gustav, Senator Obama finds himself in a bit of a pickle. His advisers will tempt him to raise the specter of Katrina to bludgeon McCain and the Republicans, especially as the RNC convenes. But to use Gustav as a political club would not be wise. A divisive line of partisan attack can only make Obama look petty and will further undermine his fabricated narrative of being a post-partisan uniter.

Obama's best course of action is to issue strong statements of support for those who respond effectively (even if that includes Gov. Jindal and - GASP! - President Bush). He should tour where he can without turning the wreckage into The Obama Show. Voters are savvy to staged campaign events; the victims of this storm will not appreciate him reducing their suffering into a photoshoot. And he should condemn the venomous snakes in his party who have been cracking jokes about the timing of Gustav vis-a-vis the RNC in unequivocal terms.

John McCain
Senator McCain has the added problem of the timing of the RNC. He was right to be sensitive about having cocktail parties while New Orleans floods once again. He cannot allow the Obama press to link his response with President Bush's failure during Katrina.

If McCain is smart, he will park himself next to Governor Jindal for the next week and volunteer his time and his campaign's resources to the relief effort. Imagine the impact of John McCain standing with the governor, declaring a donation of $1 million from his campaign's war chest to the emergency relief fund. And picture the image of McCain's campaign bus pulling into the rescue effort's command center driven by the candidate himself, filled to the brim with medical supplies and bottles of water. It would be the best $1 million McCain has ever spent.

In the end, all of these men must respond in ways that go beyond political considerations (although such calculations are inevitable). Americans want to see empathy and leadership, not politics as usual. Gustav offers redemption for the mistakes of Katrina. I hope our leaders take advantage.

It's a great day!

2008-08-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

First of all, Smorgusblog wants to thank the McCain campaign for its deference to our choice of vice presidential candidates. Senator McCain didn't have to listen to us, but he did, and we're flattered. Next up: try to get him to pass an executive order forgiving our student loans....

Next, and I had no idea, but our old friend Cynthia McKinney has been nominated for president by the Green Party! How exciting! No word on whether her strong stance on cop-punching has changed.

UPDATE - PALIN IS VEEP!!!!!!!

2008-08-29T07:50:00.001-07:00

Oh happy, happy day!!!!!!!!!!!

PALIN WATCH

2008-08-29T05:57:00.001-07:00

A gulfstream jet arrived in Dayton, Ohio, last night from Anchorage, Alaska......

Could it be??

UPDATE 8:00am CST

Fox News reporting on the Palin rumor.

Also, that Fox article cites a source explaining that McCain will put on a "GOP talent show" of sorts, bringing many of the rising stars of the party together on one stage. This leads me to believe that his VP pick is not Lieberman, who as a Democrat/independent would not fit well on that stage at all.

Matt Drudge continues to tease us.....

UPDATE 9:20am CST

CNBC is reporting that the VP pick is indeed Palin..... CAN IT BE?

Predictions

2008-08-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

In honor of the start of the College Football season, I am posting my predictions for the conferences that matter (ie. not the Big East).

SEC
My first prediction is that not only will preseason number 1 Georgia not compete for a National Championship, they won't even win the SEC East. The SEC has been by far the strongest conference for several years now, and it may be the strongest it's ever been. Teams always get up for games against the number one team in the nation, and it's going to be next to impossible for Georgia to run the table in that beast of a conference. Florida takes the SEC East while LSU squeaks away with the West. But in the end, Florida walks away as the SEC champs.

Big 12
This is the first year in the history of the Big 12 that people are expecting the North to be as strong as the South. However, I don't think they will be... I think Missouri and Kansas snuck up on people last year, and that won't happen again this year. I think the South fields 3 teams finishing in the top 25 (Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech), and only Missouri manages to stay in the top 25 from the North. Oklahoma is a cut above the rest in the Big 12, and will walk away easily with the South and win the conference championship. They compete for the National Championship this year.

Pac-10
Conventional wisdom would say that USC walks away with the Pac-10 title. And while I normally hate conventional wisdom, there is just not any other team that really has a chance. USC plays tough games against tough opponents every year, and every year they win at least 10 games. This year they go 11-1 and play in yet another BCS bowl game, although not in the one they want.

Big 10
This may be the easiest of all conferences to predict. Ohio State plays 1 tough game this year, and it's not against anyone in the Big 10. Michigan is going to be weak again this year, and Wisconsin is overrated. Ohio State beats USC in week 3 and runs the table. They play for the title yet again.

ACC
My how the mighty have fallen -- neither Florida State nor Miami are in the preseason top 25. The ACC really is a shell of what it used to be. It's still a BCS conference, but is the best example of why automatic bid conferences are idiotic. Winning the ACC is kind of like winning the Arena Football League championship -- it's an accomplishment... but not much of one. The ACC is on the fast track to becoming about as relevant to college football as Conference USA. I think Clemson wins due to their exceptional running back duo, but they will lose by a huge margin to whatever team they have to play in their bowl.

The BCS Championship game will feature Oklahoma and Ohio State. I am an unabashed Big 12 fan, and as such I say Oklahoma ends its BCS bowl loss streak, and wins it all. And I'll be crying in the corner as A&M once again loses whatever crappy bowl game they qualify for.

Oh no.

2008-08-26T09:38:00.001-07:00

Oh, please no.

The Racism Excuse

2008-08-26T06:19:00.001-07:00

A little morning reading here from the inimitable Wall Street Journal. This one's for the 23.8 visitors who Google Analytics tells me visit this site every day. Woohoo!

Funny though, we never have anywhere close to that many comments... hmmm.....

Ooo ooo and you know what? It's almost college football season! Yay! Which means we may have more to talk about on this blog than just politics!! What do you think of THAT?

Sarah Palin - Now is the Time

2008-08-25T05:58:00.000-07:00

Now that King Obama has selected his Vice Windbag and Running Mate Joe Biden, the chatter has turned towards the VP selection of John McCain. In this down economy (which was portentiously described by one of my hedge fund buddies as "on the brink of a depression"), should he go with proven business leader Mitt Romney? Or does McCain make the unconvention choice of erstwhile Democrat Joe Lieberman, thus solidifying his image as post-partisan Maverick-in-Chief? Or does he choose a fresher face, one with executive experience, like Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, who can be a good foil to McCain's old age?

These men are good choices but not great. Each would be a strong bodyblow to the Obama camp, but none is the knockout punch that McCain can and must deliver. Sarah Palin, the affable, beautiful governor of Alaska, is just that knockout punch.

There are many arguments for Gov. Palin's selection (many we have made on this very blog). All of those arguments take new strength following Obama's snub of Hillary Clinton, who received just slightly fewer votes in the primary than he. McCain must capitalize on that snub. In this moment, McCain has the opportunity to harness one of the most powerful forces known to humankind: estrogen. There are armies of menopausal Hillary loyalists just waiting for an excuse to vote against the bratty senator from Illinois who robbed their candidate of her moment in history. Who robbed THEM of THEIR moment in history. Mr. McCain, give them that excuse. Give it to them by putting a credible, admirable, conservative woman on your ticket. Let Gov. Palin be a conduit for the disaffected Hillary-masses, who are itching to give the candidate who scorned their golden girl some righteous recompense, feminist-style.

The case for a Vice President Palin clearly supercedes her gender. But her gender became even more important when Obama chose Biden. That choice raised the veepstakes, if you will. Ante up, McCain. Palin's the clear choice now.

I Want To Live In Obama's World

2008-08-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Watching Pastor Rick Warren converse with the presidential hopefuls at the Saddleback Church, I couldn't help but think: I want to live in Barack Obama's world.

It's true. As much as it offends my Republican sensibilities, I want to live in this Democrat's world. His world is bright and hopeful. It's a post-racial, post-politics world, where Americans of all colors, shapes, and sizes have moved past their petty differences and joined hands to solve our pressing problems – a lot like Disneyland. Radiant, to be sure, but hardly realistic.

Morally speaking, Obama's world is simple. It's free of any law higher than our own concept of right and wrong. As the Senator put it recently, a sin is nothing more than "being out of alignment with [our] values." In his post-modern world, we can structure our morality as we see fit, and our most serious ethical transgression is hypocrisy. Indeed, we are either guilty of violating our own conscience or guilty of nothing at all. In Obama's world, America's moral malaise is mind-deep, not soul-deep, and thus can be addressed with logic, reason, and social engineering. We humans are basically good and fundamentally justified in our nature and impulses. Sounds liberating.

In his world, words can sooth injuries, heal heartaches, and erase differences. The cardinal virtue of our leaders is their ability to inspire the latent good in all of us, and hope is the only policy we'll ever need. In this world, we can all agree on solutions to the most divisive issues; ideological differences melt like wax before the flame, and unity reigns.

Because we humans are basically good, international harmony is always within reach if we but take the time to understand our enemies overseas. The walls that divide the citizens of this planet will fall before a world that stands as one. Diplomacy rules our foreign policy, and through it, we can negotiate with our enemies, assure them of our virtuosity, and convince them to lay down their arms and ill intentions. In this world, every tribe and nation can come to a place of basic human understanding, a place where there are no divisions that reason, unity, and persistence cannot bridge.

In Obama's world, sticky domestic issues can be dissected, analyzed, and explained away like so many law school hypotheticals. It is a world ruled by a wise and benevolent government, one uniquely capable of prudent decisions about our life, liberty, and property. Our tax dollars are in competent and responsible hands, and there is no problem that a new government program cannot solve.

In this world, redistributing the wealth of a rich man into the pocket of a poor man makes the poor man's life better. Government welfare lifts up its recipients and nudges them towards self-reliance instead of fomenting a spirit of passiveness and dependency. This is a world where only the police and the military need guns, and where the men in uniform will always show up in time to stop the bad guy.

Obama sees a world where we can have things both ways. We can have both high income tax and steady economic growth. We can punish corporations for their profits and still keep them (and their jobs) on American soil. We can spare ourselves the environmental ramifications of domestic drilling, yet oil will remain cheap and plentiful. And most importantly, the government will keep us both perfectly safe and perfectly free – we will never have to choose between liberty and security.

In this world, government is the solution, not the problem. Our weakness is the problem. Our inability to find the inner motivation to achieve our higher calling. And when we find that motivation (or Motivator), society will be on the fast-track towards utopia.

Obama's world is wonderful indeed.

John McCain's world, on the other hand, is a much less inviting place. To be honest, it seems downright scary. Real good and evil exist in McCain's world, and they are not a matter of perspective. Right and wrong are rooted in a great immovable Law that transcends human existence; this Law guides the conscience and sits in judgment of the actions of the soul. His world is absolutist, and absolutism is frightening.

McCain's world is not nuanced. It's not subtle. Most of the time, it's easy to identify right and wrong, easy to spot the cowboy with the white hat and the one with the black. Here, evil men hurt and kill to further their goals, and sometimes, good men must hurt and kill to stop them. It takes more to achieve peace in this world than a smooth speech and a pretty face. Indeed, one feels that Orwell was describing McCain's world when he acknowledged that we sleep soundly at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf.

In this world, the character of a leader is forged by the fires of adversity, not the comfort of intellect. Words like duty, honor, and bravery are not taught by a textbook but by the harsh sting of sacrifice. This is a world where soldiers are maimed for their refusal to become political pawns. Evil ideologies like terrorism and communism and totalitarianism that collide with our way of life in an unsustainable way, making our mutual harmonious existence impossible.

Sometimes, in McCain's world, our enemies just can't be negotiated with. Some evilness is buried deeper than the depths to which the light of reason can shine. Some men, as Alfred pointed out in The Dark Knight, just want to watch the world burn.

McCain's is not a world of academics and ideologues. This is a world of mavericks, of trend-setters, of leaders willing to be hated by the very people they protect. It's a world of tough men making tough choices about our lives, our money, and our freedom. This world, interestingly enough, is the same one seen by the greatest presidents in our history. Lincoln, FDR, Reagan, even Bush – each had his own existential struggle against a great evil that was to be opposed and defeated at all costs. These leaders saw a world of black and white, right and wrong. They saw a world in which the litany of our social ills cannot be cured without first addressing the darkness in our souls. And although we must strive for civility and unity, sometimes political divides cannot be bridged by hope. In those dark days, these leaders of character and conviction were there to shepherd us through.

I must admit that I would much rather live in Obama's world than McCain's. The only problem is, I live in McCain's. We all do. Our next president must confronted the harsh, ugly reality of our world with both clarity and strength. Obama, for all his virtues, offers little of either. McCain sees the world as it is; Obama sees the world as he hopes it could be. We simply cannot afford to elect a leader who is so long on hope but so short on reality.

Great Article

2008-08-22T06:11:00.001-07:00

From Peggy Noonan, talking about McCain's recent rise.

My favorite paragraph, talking about McCain's 2004 RNC speech:

"...Mr. McCain provided, in 2004, one of the most exciting and certainly the most charged moment of the Republican Convention, when he looked up at Michael Moore in the press stands and said, "Our choice wasn't between a benign status quo and the bloodshed of war, it was between war and a greater threat. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. . . . And certainly not a disingenuous filmmaker who would have us believe that Saddam's Iraq was an oasis of peace." It blew the roof off. And the smile he gave Mr. Moore was one of pure, delighted malice. When Mr. McCain comes to play, he comes to play."

Just Choose Already

2008-08-22T05:42:00.001-07:00

Could the press please fawn over Barack Obama's veep selection process any more? Seriously, he's making headlines by just saying "I know who but I'm not telling." I mean, I don't blame him for dragging his feet - he should milk the media's willingness to report on every little detail of this process as much as he possibly can. But the amount of ink spilled in the last week has been a little ridiculous.

Is there nothing else going on in the world that might be of interest to the American public? I vaguely recall a sporting contest or two being held in Asia somewhere. And wasn't there some rain down in Florida recently? And maybe a scuffle over in Russia-land?

Instead, we get pictures of Joe Biden leaving his dentist's office.

Another banner week for the American media.

Olympics Wire

2008-08-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me today that there has not been a single sports-related post in months. In light of that, I decided to express a few of my thoughts on what has been a terrific Olympics thus far.

First, I think it's very interesting how far track and field has fallen from grace. Track used to be by far the most important sport in the Summer Olympics, with sprinting being the centerpiece of that popularity. In case you hadn't heard, Usain Bolt won both the 100m and 200m sprints for the first time since Carl Lewis in 1984. He also broke world records in both sprints, and if you caught the races, it didn't even look like he had to try very hard. This would have been the biggest news story of the year if Michael Johnson had done it 12 years ago. I think track has been hurt by the fact that no one trusts the athletes to be clean anymore. There have been so many steroid scandals in track and field over the past decade that you would swear Barry Bonds was competing.

Also, does it bother anyone else that Nastia Liukin always looks pissed off? I mean she won the all-around gold and is going to walk away with 5 medals, and you'd think by looking at her that someone just took a dump in her Easter basket. And kudos to Shawn Johnson for getting gold in her last event -- and smiling unlike her American counterpart.

As far as Michael Phelps... what can I say that hasn't already been written? He has to go down in the discussion as the best athlete in his sport of all-time. To win 8 gold medals in a single Olympic Games is, in my humble opinion, the greatest athletic performance ever.

At the time of writing this, the Redeem Team needs to win two more games to win the Gold... and with the way they have been crushing their opponents I have no reason to think that they won't.

GO USA!!!!

The Perfect Storm

2008-08-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

Eastern Europe is shaking in it's boots as the Russians pull a play right out of 1968. Georgia is the immediate victim, but do you think Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, and every country ending in -stan, is not having vivid nightmares of what Russia is perfectly capable of.

I know technically that those nightmares should be put at bay as many of them are protected under the NATO Alliance. But I ask you, how much protection is NATO going to provide? Georgia was within a hairs width of becoming a member of NATO before the Russians took the liberty of securing oil rich areas of Georgia and (in my opinion) had the eventual intent of taking over there economically fertile western coastline.

If Georgia had been granted membership before this unprovoked invasion, then technically the Western Powers would be drawn into an immediate and most likely devastating conflict with Russia. But, realistically (if Putin and Mendedev have been watching the news over the past six years), they know that governing bodies whose power is ultimatley wielded with the threat of military action, if necessary (uhh hmmm...the UN), has been rendered impotent.

Yes, yes I know that Russia is one of the five members of the Security Council, but the actions of the western nations when resolution 1440 was clearly being ignored by Iraq gave Russia (among others) the impression that the world alliances don't really mean jack crap. And the only nation that will back up these resolutions and threats of action are the United States. And those actions are immediatley followed with everyone thanking the U.S. by shunning our citizens, criticizing our every move, and letting our soldiers bear the burden of a world problem. Why wouldn't Russia show it's true colors by pushing around their neighbors; on the basis of allegations that could not be farther from the truth.

Georgia and Russia have had issues in the past, but last year under the mediation of Nicolas Sarkozy they were able to come to (practical if not amicable) terms. Six months later there there is footage of a Russian state official speaking on behalf of Moscow declaring that, "(the Georgians) are imbeciles , not regular people and once they smell blood they will not stop." Yeah, I see that. The country of Georgia (the size of South Carolina) wants nothing more than to fight with the largest nation in Europe, a nuclear capable country, with a penchant for killing civilians who question their authority. Those Georgians just can't get enough of conflict with Russia.

The bottomline is that Russia is making a deliberate and clear power play at a time when America is stretched so thin that it cannot give the situation the attention it deserves. Putin and his cronies have slapped democracy, NATO, and more intentionally the United States in the face. And because we do live an increasingly globalized world that relies on each other to keep the peace and preserve democracy, the United States cannot be left alone. Outside of Sarkozy the rest of Europe has their thumbs in a place where the sun doesn't shine. The U.S. is also sitting on their hands, but what do you expect them to do. Last time we used them we became the Third Reich over night. Russia is the one that smells blood and they are the first one's to take a bite in the feeding frenzy. I pray that Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan's instability, the thorn that is Venezuela and their sympathizers, the growing energy crisis and now Russia are not creating a situation that America will not be able to weather. Again I call for Europe to rise and use the power that the EU has enabled it to enjoy. Get in where you fit in Europe and pull some weight. Take the hardline and for once let us follow you.

Smartest Girl in the World

2008-08-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

This morning, my daughter Caroline got tired of watching the DVD that was playing. So she got up from the couch, walked over to the DVD player, pushed the eject button, switched the disks, and pressed play.

Now, that isn't all that impressive... until I tell you that she's 19 months old.

Seriously, this girl is smarter than me already.

There's No WAY They're That Dumb.....

2008-08-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

.....right?????

Drudge has linked to a report that erstwhile presidential candidate and current Democratic windbag extraordinaire John Kerry is on Obama's shortlist for vice presidential contenders.

Come ooooooon. This has got to be a joke. John Kerry, Mr. Swiftboat himself?? He might get another run at a national office? John Kerry, with more elitism charges, more windsurfing, more ridiculous photo ops, more "I'm reporting for duty"? What a godsend for Republicans. In an election they could not possibly lose, the Dems are doing their darndest to do just that. I mean, the RNC wouldn't even have to make new ads! How nice!

I really don't think that even the Dems are this dumb. Then again, they did nominate a first-term senator with a scrawny record and a history of racial and ideological radicalism.

The Worst?

2008-08-12T12:24:00.001-07:00

According to Ariana Huffington, the war in Iraq is "the most disastrous foreign policy decision in American history." (Not sure what the rest of the article says; most of her writing just looks like "blahbiddy blah blah blah blip blop mmm rotisserie chicken" to me).

I could probably think of a few things worse.... like, say, granting Ariana Huffington legal residency in this country, for instance. Would that be considered a foreign policy decision or is that sort of thing a domestic policy matter? Hmmmmmmm... I suppose we'll let the historians decide.

The Stories Not Heard

2008-08-12T04:49:00.000-07:00

I have a number of friends in the military who are currently deployed in Iraq. In fact, all the Smorgusblog contributors do. And as my colleagues will attest, it is quite elucidating to hear real stories from soldiers and officers on the front lines and to see how their stories comport with the images broadcasted on our news. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, I have found the media's portrayal of the war to be grossly negligent in giving Americans a complete picture of the situation in Iraq and the many successes, both military and nonmilitary, that have been achieved by our men and women in uniform.

I think first of my buddy Taylor, a 1st lieutenant in the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. He's been in Iraq since September 2007, stationed at a forward operating base south of Baghdad. When he writes, he tells me that his unit's mission (which according to him has been wildly successful) has focused not on counterinsurgency operations, but rather rebuilding infrastructure and providing tax-free small-business loans to local entrepreneurs.

Small business loans! Imagine that on prime-time MSNBC: "Today in Iraq, the levels of start-up capital provided by our military to small businesses has reached its highest level since the war began.... breaking news now, another $50,000 has been infused into a neighborhood south of Baghdad, and we think the recipient is planning on opening a coffee shop of some kind... let's go to our Middle East correspondent, who is live with the aspiring barrista now."

In our modern times, the news is like any other consumer product, and newsman like any other merchant: he must tailor their product to what his consumers will buy. Buying in this case means tuning in, and maybe Americans just won't tune in for anything other than blood and guts. Maybe stories of real, tangible success in Iraq (while not as tantalizing as images of violence) just won't get the ratings, just won't move the advertisers' products.

At least, that's the gamble. Because this whole war for ratings began with the advent of real choice in the marketplace for news. Suddenly, the network anchors weren't the only game in town. Cable news channels, networks, and myriad internet news sources all compete in a vicious fracas to win the loyalty of news-seekers, desperately engaged in a frenetic race to the journalistic bottom. But the irony is, focus groups and marketing gurus notwithstanding, America would, in my opinion, most likely embrace a news source that actively reported stories like my lieutenant friend's. I think we are ready for a brand of news that reflects world events instead of pushing a certain preselected agenda.

Certainly, not all stories from Iraq are happy, and not all missions are successful. I have close friends who have been wounded, some seriously, in the fight to free that region from the forces that would destabilize and undermine its achievements. Many have watched loved ones make that final sacrifice, and a robust and honest reporting of the news should tell their herioc stories as well. But must this be where the reporting ends? Must the news media, those self-appointed watchmen of the American conscience, worship at the altar of the almighty dollar as blatantly as every other peddler of cheap entertainment? What happened to journalistic standards? What happened to the breed of newsman that felt a duty to his viewers that transcended the baser concerns of ratings and the bottom line?

The great thing about capitalism is that consumers always have a choice. You and I can choose to tune out the more entertainment-focused news channels and avoid patronizing the advertisers that make their brand of reporting possible.

It won't end until we consumers make it end. Here's hoping we make that choice before the line between entertainment and honest news reporting is wiped away completely.

A Shift in the Winds

2008-08-07T06:42:00.001-07:00

Feel that? It's the political winds shifting. It's slow, barely perceptible, and ironic even, but the winds are indeed shifting.

John McCain is, extraordinarily, running neck-and-neck with presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama, with some polls actually showing McCain leading among likely voters. This, after McCain was breathlessly excoriated by the conservative talking heads during the primary, some of whom threatened outright party boycott if he were to win the nomination. But win he did, despite the widely-held view by the party base that he is just too old and just too liberal. All signs indicate that the base hasn't warmed up to McCain significantly, nor have his recent flip-flops done much to assuage their concerns. Of all the words to describe the Republicans' feeling about their nominee for 2008, excited ain't one of them.

Compounding this lack of enthusiasm is an acute frustration at the hype that the Obama candidacy continues to receive. There is no question that he is the darling of the liberal media elite, who are in the tank for the Democrats this year even more so than in normal election cycles. Major networks are making only the barest attempts at disguising their bias, and while they are busy engaging in their persuasion-by-saturation, their surrogates on the op-ed pages echo the resounding chorus with near-religious fervor: O-BA-MA! YES-WE-CAN! It's like they are convinced the louder they shout, the weaker our will to resist the Second Coming becomes.

The media isn't alone in its fawning; Europe's discontented masses recently got the chance to cast their ballot as well. Obama's overseas trip, meticulously chronicled by the sweetheart press, was a rousing exercise in self-promotion, and crowds of screaming foreigners gave him a Beatles-esque reception wherever he went.

Here at home, the political climate seems poised for a runaway Democratic victory. The price of gas is sky-high (recent drops notwithstanding). The economy is slowing, and Bush's approval rating is at a historic low. To the extent that one believes polls, they show a generic Republican losing to a generic Democrat by 10 points or more and that the American public inexplicably trusts the Democrats more than the Republicans on almost every important issue. In this environment, is it any wonder that Chicago's favorite son walks with such confidence about his political fortunes?

And truly, it's hard for the political observer to deny that this confidence is well-founded. The current political climate seems pregnant with victory for Democrats, prompting the very legitimate observation that if they cannot win now, they will never be able to win. It just does not get any better politically, and the Democrats know it. In a year like this, they would be crazy not to be confident. The only problem is, confidence a winning election does not guarantee. For all the adulation and attention he has received, Obama has not yet been able to close this deal. His overseas trip didn't translate into a noticeable bounce in the polls, and the media hype hasn't had the hypnotic effect on the American consciousness that was no doubt intended. Far be it from me to question Obama's venerable and experienced political team of insiders, but it seems clear that being the most popular candidate with the liberal media and the European masses does not necessarily translate into popularity here at home.

Americans don't like being told who to vote for by anyone - not by the media elite, not by the Hollywood airheads, and certainly not by the ungrateful Europeans, who it seems our military is constantly defeating or saving, depending on the decade. And now, Obama is planning to jet off to Switzerland with George Clooney and his pals for a blowout fundraiser, kindly reconfirming that his Hyde Park, out-of-touch, elitist stereotype is in fact accurate and well-deserved.

To win in November, McCain must continue to make a clear and articulate case against his rival and hang Obama's lies and omissions around his neck like so many weights. He is fighting uphill against the onslaught of a beholden media, but the battle is no longer bleak nor the outcome assured. Even some Democrats are souring on their Boy Wonder; the liberal blogs have taken him to task for compromising his position on off-shore drilling, and there are rumblings of a possible convention fight led by the Wicked Witch of Little Rock herself.

If Hillary incites a public, rancorous battle in Denver, it could very well be Obama's Gettysburg: the day that the tide began to turn for good. Obama will blame the Clinton Machine for his loss and the failure to unite a broken party. But really, his Hillary problem is just a symptom of a more serious malaise. Something about Obama is not resonating with the American public. Maybe they are growing weary of him personally, or perhaps they just aren't buying his argument that, despite his dearth of experience, is in fact ready to lead the Free World.

Whatever it is, America is getting sick of Obama. Time will tell if McCain can prove to be an effective cure.

Obama Fatigue?

2008-08-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

I read a very interesting article discussing the idea of Obama Fatigue and whether it's real.

First of all, I'm very glad that it seems the shine is coming off of Obama and his campaign. Too many people looked at his as their messiah and expected him to save them from Bush. He is proving to be exactly the kind of politician that he promised everyone he wasn't, and people tire of hearing about him all the time.

Second, as it is clear that Obama Fatigue is real, I am planning on going on disability with it for a few months... because I have a terrible, terrible case of it.

Take That, Singapore Establishment!

2008-08-06T19:01:00.001-07:00

We were dismayed to see that a Singapore-born US citizen was recently arrested and charged with felony crimes in his homeland for the hideous crime of - hide the kids! - insulting two Singapore judges. Apparently, this remorseless scofflaw had dared to post criticisms of Supreme Court Justices Belinda Ang and Lai Siu Chiu on his public blog, criticisms that rose to the level of "insults." Now, we're all for Singapore's rather unique brand of criminal justice, especially the 6-lashes-with-the-cane variety. But jail time for a few harmless insults? That's taking it a little too far.

As you know, we at Smorgusblog feel it important to bring our readers only the most distinguished and erudite insights on world events like these. In that spirit, we'd like to point out the following:

Justice Belinda Ang is so fat, she put on a Malcolm X T-shirt and a helicopter tried to land on her.

Justice Lai Siu Chiu is so fat, she sat on a rainbow and skittles came out.

...

And that's how we stick it to the Singapore Man.

Drill Home That Point, Pubs

2008-08-05T07:22:00.000-07:00

I think over the past month we have seen a fundamental shift in the GOP. A month ago, anyone running for a congressional seat with (R) next to their name was running scared. Many stopped even calling themselves Republicans because the brand was so hated.

However, it seems like ever since President Bush repealed the executive ban on offshore drilling, new life has been breathed into the Republican party. They have found a common theme that they are desperately trying to expose the Democrats on. Around 70% of Americans favor increased drilling, and this stance that Pelosi and the Democrats have taken is starting to erode their prospects in November.

Personally, I don't think that opening up more drilling will produce much in the way of long-term benefits, and I certainly don't want to perpetuate our addiction to oil. That being said, I don't see any reason to oppose more drilling. If the only thing it accomplishes is increased consumer confidence, then it would be worth it. We face serious economic hardships going forward, and it is likely that the increase in gas prices is the main culprit for our current situation. If the Pubs want to have any chance at regaining some of the seats they lost in 2006, they need to keep hammering home this issue and blaming Pelosi for all problems facing America.

Google Chats with a Budding Politician

2008-08-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

Now if this isn't change we can believe in, I don't know what is.

me: hey fathead

goose: what do you want?

me: world peace
what do YOU want

goose: world war
hmm... i may be on the wrong side of that issue

me: we'd have to poll it to be sure

Workin' Hard for the Money

2008-08-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

Today I made my first political campaign donations, to John Cornyn and John McCain. I figured it was high time to put my money where my mouth is.

Oh, and if/when they win, I'm taking full credit.

Finished! (Plus, Obama is really dumb)

2008-08-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

I'm finally finished with the Texas Bar Exam.... many thanks to my cobloggers for keeping the posts flowing in my absence. Congrats to all my fellow examinees for enduring and finishing strong. The last three weeks were some of the worst of my life - 12+ hours of studying every day - and pass or fail, that's the last time I'm ever taking it.

Anyway, let the games begin! For today's installment of "Policy Disasters by Barack Obama", the newly-crowned King of Europe has just proposed a slew of new government handouts to be funded with taxes on - who else? - the Evil Oil Companies! (cue 1930's monster music)

Apparently the Evil Oil Companies don't deserve the profits they're making by producing, refining, selling the world's most valuable and demanded natural resource as much as the American public, half of whom don't even pay taxes. Damn the capitalists, full steam ahead, says he! Never mind that the Wall Street Journal has shown repeatedly that the profit margins of the oil industry are on par with - and in some cases lower than - the profit margins of other major industries. Forget that oil profits in absolute dollar terms are also far lower than other major industries (20% of the financial services industry, for example).

In his defense, Barack is way too busy giving feel-good fluffer speeches to throngs of adoring college students to be bothered with trivial things like facts. But is it too much to ask for our presidential candidates to at least inform themselves of the available empirical data?

Every new economic proposal this guy releases is dumber and more pandering than the last. As noted previously on this blog, economically speaking, his campaign is either uninformed or lying. We're not really sure which is worse.

Amazing

2008-07-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

I am literally awe struck by this:
http://xoomthetruth.blogspot.com/2008/07/seeing-is-believing.html

It's good to be home!

2008-07-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

I must first say, God Bless America and everything that she has to offer. I just returned early this morning from a trip to the vaunted lands of Europe. This was my second trip to the Euro-States and enjoyed it less than my first. The beer is certainly better and I thinkI will stop there.

The lingering hatred/jealousy that has formed in the minds of numerous Europeans runs thick through their veins when dealing with Americans. What perplexes me is where this attitude towards our nation, comes from. Yes, I understand we have discrepancies over the war, and their unbridled disgust with President Bush is alive and well, but we are on the same team folks.

We bailed them out of WW I (arguably) and WW II (without question!). On a personal side we had marginal service at best at our restaurant stops (down right ignored at one French Restaurant). We went ignored by most Europeans, but the occasional Euro-trash would go out of his/her way to make us feel extra welcome. Such as one incident on a London sidelwalk where someone through a lit cigarette at my sister and told us to, "bloody go home". Another dandy came when we were visiting Trinity College in Dublin. She asked a student where we could find a restroom and he replied, "I don't know, how about your hotel room." Witty but rude. How European of him.

Okay now lets look at the situation of Europe and why they have this pent up frustration. Many Europeans feel that the European Union, while necessary, has all but raped the European nations of their former identities and cultural nuances. As the EU continues trying to turn Europe into a fully functional United States of Europe the back lash from nationalists has been intense. Outside of good old Ireland, everyone has fully approved the Lisbon Treaty and they are well on their way to "state hood". Personally from an economic and world power standpoint the EU is the best thing that ever happened to these guys, the fact that they are just now figuring out how to pull it together is a couple of centuries overdue and the backlash is a by product of the general European attitude, "we are better than you". Not to mention the EU is a carbon copy of how we went from a loosely assembled body of states to a cohesive superpower. I assume they have a small amount of inferiority complex when it comes to this.

Now that most of Europe has figured out how to get along and play nice, who do they collectively get to focus there, "we are better than you" attitude on? Well of course those bloody little creeps just across the pond. Because without Europe we never would have existed anyway, right? I feel like Europe has all of sudden found it's footing for the first time in a century and the first they do is find us and try to give us a spanking.

We aren't progressive, we aren't cutting emissions, we are war mongers, we are barbarians...if these things are true, then we got it from them. I assure you that my car does not put out near the CO2 emissions as one smoking European. And by my unofficial count 100 % of their population begins smoking at the age of three. It was ridiculous! Their civil rights are so progressive that the minority populations of France spent two months rioting on the outskirts of Paris over unfair treatment and social inequality. Don't even get me started on wars, because Europe has done enough of that! They created modern warfare, we just improved on it. And we are so barbarian that our citizens are not allowed dental care and sit on wait lists for simple medical procedures for months...no wait, that happens in Europe.

Economically and politically speaking, welcome back to the table! But instead of focusing your attention on why you think you are better than us, lend a helping hand to the nation that has held the post-war world together. It has been nice watching you recover from ruins, and hell we didn't even mind taking out the largest threat to your freedom (USSR), or rebuilding your economies under the Marshall Plan, but now I ask that you use your new found ability to operate without assistance, to contribute to the good guys. Rebuking us, whether you want to believe it or not, is damaging to not just for the US but for the Euro-States.

We are in this together, act like it.

Once Again, Texas Dominates

2008-07-25T06:58:00.001-07:00

I think I am going to make a rule to link to any article that says anything like "Texas dominated"... it just makes me happy.

http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008071502?OpenDocument

When people see things like this, why don't they immediately move from their crappy Detroit or Baltimore homes and move to Texas? The standard of living down here is just soooooo much better than it is in most parts of the country.

Also, I often wonder why Texans are stereotyped as a bunch of retarded rednecks when we consistently have the strongest economy and the highest standards of living. If I were some Guido in New Jersey living in a one bedroom apartment that costs $1500 a month, I would jump at the chance to move to a place where I could buy a very nice house for that amount of money. Texas is clearly the best state in the Union and it's not even close.

Baracky Mouse

2008-07-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

"Obama has benefited from a week of good images. But substantively, optimism without reality isn’t eloquence. It’s just Disney."

- David Brooks, 25 July 2008

Brilliant.

More American Honor Killings

2008-07-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

I literally cannot believe that another one of these sensational acts of barbarism is going mostly unnoticed. Happily, the NY Post published an article expressing the same outrage.

What is it going to take for more people in the media to talk about this? I don't think it's because of ratings purposes... I can't imagine people would rather see Obama shoot a 3 pointer than learn that these intense acts of violence are going on here at home.

Obama Vain? Naaaaaaaa

2008-07-19T05:36:00.001-07:00

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/07/obamas_egoaccomplishment_gap.html

This guy agrees!

2008-07-11T05:49:00.000-07:00

... that Jesse's "oops" wasn't so accidental. He doesn't think it was coordinated like me, but he comes to the same conclusion about the ordeal's effect on Obama.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07112008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/jesses_oops_119388.htm

Yet another example of why you should come to Smorgusblog first for your analysis!

RIGGED!

2008-07-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

First of all, sorry for the absence in posting.... the summer's getting busy for everyone. Things will resume at full speed come August.

The one thing I did want to comment on was the Jesse Jackson comment non-scandal. For anyone who was hiding under a rock yesterday, Jackson was caught on mic saying that Obama was "talking down to black people" and that he (the Good Reverend) wants to "cut his nuts off."

First, I'm a little disappointed that Fox choose not to run the rest of the clip, which was apparently more damaging than that quote. Second, I think this whole non-scandal was rigged. That's right, rigged, by Jackson and Obama themselves. Think about it - that comment was relatively innocuous and kind of irrelevant, the sort of stupid trash-talking that anyone who has ever been around a 17 year old boy has heard more than once. So it didn't really hurt Jackson to say it. Also, it did nothing but help Obama. It gave him a chance to appear gracious and forgiving, but most importantly, it gave him the golden opportunity to show subtlely yet powerfully that he is not in fact beholden to black leaders like Jackson. If Joe Blo in Pennsylvania has been (rightly) wondering if Obama thinks in lock-step with these iconic race-baiters, then maybe he feels better that Jackson is apparently quite upset with the ever-shifting stances that Obama is taking. Not saying that it would convince many, but it is a plausible reason to set this up; plus, this little non-scandal represented an entire news cycle devoted to Obama, and most of the coverage was favorable or at worst neutral. More free coverage to come, when he makes a big show of accepting the Reverend's apology. Media time is the coin of the realm, and Obama just got 24 hrs worth without spending a dime.

The final piece of my conspiracy theory fell into place when I saw the tape. Jackson is WEARING A MIC, for crying out loud, in between takes in taping a TV show! Jackson is no spring chicken or media neophyte. He knew he was wearing a mic, and I highly doubt he just assumed it was off as he made threatening and disparaging remarks about the first black presidential candidate in this nation's history.

I don't think the remarks were borne of jealousy, or ill-will, or policy disagreements. I think they were calculated and planned.