Seriously? Not Freakin Mention?

So I'm on ESPN's website today updating my fantasy football roster in hopes I can pull out a huuuuge winning streak and make the playoffs, and I decide to poke around for NFL articles, news, commentary, etc... After all this is a great year for me and professional football; I'm a Saints fan!! Undefeated to date at 9-0, we average 36.8 points a game (first in the NFL), avgerage 426 yards a game (first in the NFL), more defensive touchdowns than any other team in the League, and we currently sit atop the NFL power rankings. There should be plenty to read...Right?!

Yeah not so much. Not one article, video, highlight or recap about the New Orleans Saints. Plenty of talk about the Pat's boneheaded 4th down disaster, and Peyton Manning, and whether or not the Bears even have a shot at making the playoffs, but Saints? Zero, nada, zilch, zippo!

Is it because we haven't ever won a Superbowl? Is it because we've had such a dismal past? Wouldn't these things make for an even better under-dog story? All I can say is if this is the way it's gotta be, I hope we stay under these chowderheads' radar, and bite them all in the ass come January.

Response Carried Over From Commentary at Another Location

See what started this at: http://ianmcgibboney.blogspot.com/2009/11/blending-sports-and-politicssomething.html

You're an angry fella Tom, but you do have a point about me portraying some of the same divisiveness and adversity in much of my own contributions and commentary. So, I'm not going to mark arguments for such or justify such.

Unemployment is a huge problem. It seems to be your sticking point, much like many others in your quest to paint the current President along with Democratic policy and implementation as the source for all of our woes. You are absolutely right: Obama initially stated that he could hold unemployment to 8% or less. He was absolutely wrong.
This is the source of my point. It's not about supporting the plans of Democrats, but rather supporting truly progressive plans that will have the desired impact, not half-measures watered down by compromise ceded to opposing political organizations. Krugman and a plethera of economists screamed at the top of their lungs about the E.R.A. not being nearly large enough to be fully effective. They even went so far as to state that while the proposed investment would slow down and reverse quite a few key economic indicators, it wouldn't have the desired effect on unemployment rates as they are usually one of the last indicators to turn around. Further, they are still stating unless more investment is made specifically in the areas of job creation several years of inflated unemployment rates are likely.

You see my point is not loyalty to party, but to good ideas. We've run higher defecits as a percentage of GDP in the past, and specifically when that money was used to strengthen the economy and production at home, it was very successful. I don't care about Obama or the particular individuals who tout ideas. I just care about the ideas.
I think Obama has come up short on some of his campaign promises, and delivered on others. I never expected any different when I cast my ballot for him. I simply saw and still see him as the best possibility for Progressive reform.

Tom, anyone who can look at the lack of support shown to health care reform by the Republican party and not say they would rather play politics, is either clinically insane or completely apathetic. Even the extremely ridiculous farce of a bill that they slapped together after much criticism for not bringing a viable alternative to the table, doesn't guarantee an exemption to preexisting condition exclusions.

You are right again on the universal mandate (although no one is going to be thrown in jail). It is a bad idea to provide more of a monopoly to the insurance companies who already are raping the American citizens. That is exactly why a strong and comprehensive public option is necessary. Contrary to what is said so frequently, a public option doesn't automatically equal a single payer government plan in a few years. There are other nations who still have private businesses providing highly regulated health insurance to customers, and they have achieved universal coverage.

Further, don't label me with the nothing but hatred mark. Much of what I write is simply commentary. Have I been inflammatory in my language? Yes, certainly, but there is not a pervasiveness to it as to warrant hatred. Frustration, sure. Anger, maybe, but not hatred.
Also, don't twist my words sir. I was referencing the Evangelical base of the GOP as "wholly equipped with condemnation..." not the party in total.

Finally, in reference to all of your talk about the Obama/racism issue. I have never said that political ideaology doesn't play some role along with other factors, but I have emphatically stated that when you have a President doing many of the same things that other Republican and Democratic Presidents have done; the only difference being the color of his skin, and the dark fellow takes the "Hitler" cat calls, racism is present.
Does that mean that every Republican is racist? Of course not. Does that mean that racism is stronger in the Republican party than the Democratic party? Maybe. However, it certainly does mean it exists, and as such, should be discussed.

Will Obama and the Democrats get trounced in the upcoming elections? I have no idea, and it certainly remains to be seen. To quote Ian, "That is why they play the games". I will say this though. If they are trounced, it will not be because a couple of Governor's races went their way early on. Those two races do not a national referendum make. I believe if Obama stops pandering to more middle of the road Democrats and Conservative Republicans, his success will be much larger, but that isn't likely. It's the nature of politics, and it's the system we have. I think the system we have sucks overall, but I can't think of a better one either.
So, I'm not here to get in a pissing match with you. I'm not here to discuss who's the bigger hypocrite, or what party did what to who'm now or in the past. I'm hear to discuss ideas, and how to bring the good ones to fruition. I haven't always done a good job of doing that, as you have pointed out, but that is my goal.

Now would you care to discuss ideas? Would you care to explain what you think would help our country and why? Would you care to listen to other's viewpoints as well? If you would, I'm in.

Maybe I'm Just As Guilty As The Tea Baggers

I've been reading over a current thread I was keeping up with at a well written blog I follow by Ian McGibbony, and in doing so, I followed a profile link of a fellow who thinks little of my politcal and social outlook. I delved into his profile and subsequently his webpage and was a bit disturbed. The tone and tenor of his repsonses on the blog I follow had already provided me with an insight to his overall frame of mind regarding our current President and also the Democratic majority in both houses of Congress, but I was definitely surprised by the pervasiveness of his contempt and acerbic wit.

His every entry consists of hostile and derisive commentary about Barrack Obama, and it has made me wonder am I any different? Almost every commentary I make, almost every response to a posting that I issue, and certainly my own works have been similar in their ire towards George W. Bush and his Republican cohorts. I often get caught up in arguing with people for the sake of winning the argument and casting a poor light on someone that I perceive to be a Republican or conservative individual. I have reached a point of almost knee-jerk negative reaction to anyone who is conservative or touts conservative ideaology. Certainly I could pen sprawling and rather convincing arguments for those reactions and my commentary, but I am beginning to see those reasons are irrelevant.

I believe it is the act of picking a "team" and playing/fighting one another that is causing the lack of progress. Don't misunderstand me, the Democratic party holds vastly larger numbers of candidates who are congruent with my vision of what role government should play in our lives...better put even, what role "we" should play in our own lives. I do truly contain loathing for the wildy hypocritcal and destructive Evangelical base of the Republican party. Perhaps I see more of this strain of the party because of Geography and association, but I think that is important to remember the cause is not about blasting these people. No matter how good it may feel sometimes, it is counterproductive. After all the goal is not to discredit the Republican agenda, but to further the Progressive agenda. What is the Progressive agenda? The betterment of society as a whole. It is the "Socialist" brush that this idea gets painted with that causes so much trouble. This is unfortunate because whatever word you use to describe it, helping each other out is not a bad thing. The whole is reflected in the sum of its parts. The rich gentleman who loses a few dollars in taxes picks up edification and further wealth by a strong and successful societal whole.

The us versus them mentality hurts us all. Much to my dismay we all really do have to share the same country. It's just in our best interest to stop blasting each other (this will be extremely difficult for me) and working on building each other up.

Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You, but What You Can Do To Fight Your Democratically Elected President

Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, a potential presidential contender in 2012, said Obama's speech is "uninvited" and that the president's move raises questions of content and motive.

Many school districts have decided not to show Obama's speech, to be delivered at 12 noon EDT Tuesday, partly in response to concerns from parents.

So we now apparently live in an era where the democratically elected leader of our country can not speak to the students of our country about the importance of staying in school and working towards an education?! Bobby Jindal wants to push and force the teaching of Creationism in public schools to our children, but Obama's speech is what gains headlines and pushback the country over. When did we enter the Twighlight GOP zone?

What questions of "motive" could this possibly raise? Are we truly worried that our President is secretely handing out Socialist Decoder Rings to all of our children? Do we think that the children of our country haven't seen speeches that our President has given already? These are all really pertinent questions, and I hope people the country over are answering them in their own heads. This is a travesty. With the racial inequity sewn into the fabric of our country's history, to have a brilliant black man and President speak to the youth of our country on the importance of staying in school and valuing education is absolutely priceless.

Where were these folks when Reagan and Bush Sr. spoke to the youth of our country? Even more pertinent is this. If these same folks railing against the President making this speech were told that the President intended to make a speech on the evils of abortion, they would be lining their children up to attend. Now I'm really not trying to make this an ad hominem defense, so let me clarify. If Bush or Reagan wanted to speak to the youth of our nation and encourage them not to use drugs and to stay physically fit, great! I'm not saying those were bad things. The point here is there are some issues that, on which, we should be consistently unified. Guess what? The value of staying in school and achieving our academic goals is one of them!!

I just finished taking a look at the 7-12 lessons plans which can be found here: http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/lessons/7-12.pdf and I absolutely can not come up with anything that doesn't fit right in with just about any state's Comprehensive Curriculum. This is good classroom practice and curriculum folks. Now I understand that there was originally a lesson plan that included a question about "How can you help the President?" What the hell was wrong with that question? Do we not want to help our country succeed? Is this counter lesson planning tactics brought to you by Rush Limbaugh? I just don't get it folks.

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears

When family members swarm my inbox with "patriotic" emails about how liberals are ruining the world, then proceed to log off get in their Hummer which gets 5 miles to the gallon and drive to get their paycheck from a high paying V.P. job that allows them to pay an effective 15 percent tax rate...it really grinds my gears.

When people use the word socialist when they have absolutely no idea what it means...it really grinds my gears.

When people refer to Global Warming as a conspiracy...it really grinds my gears.

When senators appear on television and state that citizens of Canada have to wait until they are blind in order to have cataract surgery despite the fact they have never been to Canada...it really grinds my gears.

When people act like the fact that the impoverished receive free or subsidized health care is a conspiracy rather than demanding the same for themselves...it really grinds my gears.

Finally, when someone engages me in a political discussion and insists on quoting "facts" that they read in an email forward that they received...IT REALLY GRINDS MY GEARS...I mean seriously don't tell me that President Obama wants to take your guns away and impose the highest taxes in recorded history upon the American public because some douchebag in your office sent you an email. Hop online and use a researched and legitimate source to find out the facts, that indeed he hasn't proposed banning the right to bear arms and he only wants to tax people at 10 percentage points lower than Ronald Reagan did.

Landrieu is a Joke

There are truly no progressive elected voices in Louisiana. Senator Landrieu wears the mantle of "Democrat", but she's a bigger special interest whore than most Republicans. A recent article I read at crooks and liars.com showed that she received over a million dollars in direct donations from the Medical Industrial Complex and another $400,000 or so from the insurance industry. You know in our current system I have no problem with a candidate who takes the donations and still votes against a special interest. Hell, I applaud them, but when Landrieu flips her script and hops on the Blue Cross Express, it's pretty obvious why.

The rub here is we keep electing these clowns! Why is the electorate so ignorant? I try to fight the Southerner stereotype as much as possible, but damn my fellow Southerners make it hard. It's to the point now that any true Progressives don't even bother running for office in LA. At least with a tool like David Vitter you know what you have...A hooker crazy, diaper wearing, corporate twit. I place Landrieu a rung under Vitter, because at least we know he's willing to fuck people for the right price. Landrieu is a whore hiding in a supposedly liberal-elected officials clothing.

What Has Bobby Done For Me?

Governor Jindal has been at it for a bit now, and he is typically a well-liked individual throughout his home state. He is a shining star in the Republican Party and has even been talked about in regards to a Presidential run. Given all of this, I asked myself today a simple question: "What has Bobby done for me?"

That's a really tough one to answer. Obviously I don't mean to inquire solely for my own personhood but rather for a wide swathe of the population who fits into the average middle class worker category. I'm told that I pay less state taxes now with the repeal of the Stelly Plan, but actually I don't because I "make too much moeny". That's laughable. In fact only a small portion of the middle class who make right around 50k a year see a two percent reduction in state taxes. Now I'm all for helping these folks out, but this doesn't strike me as a sweeping tax reform especially in lieu of the budget shortfall the State is predicting for next fiscal year.

In addition to cutting a very oddly applied tax, Bobby has managed to hand me a cut to the funding of my state public school system, and higher education system. So now some programs in K-12 classrooms around the state may be cut and students could very well lose out on intervention and support programs that they require. Also, teacher jobs and salaries may very well shrink in parishes across the state. Oh and also if I want to augment my education and continue my professional learning, I may have to drive half way across the state in order to find the correct program now as colleges forsee having to condense the courses of study and classes that they offer. Thanks Bobby!

Oooooh wait, let's not forget that squarely in the middle of this shortfall, Bobby attempted to turn down hundreds of millions of dollars provided by the Federal Government for absolutely no reason at all other than he wanted to pander to his right wing conservative base in preparation for a presidential run. This gets better and better.

Well at least I can say that he pushed for and won cutting edge anti-corruption legislation. Except that along with it, he hyper- inflated his staff's and appointee's salaries and hasn't remotely put a dent in government corruption. Another good thing about this legislation is that several respected lawyers believe that if it is ever used to remove someone from office it won't be upheld as Constitutional. Like I said, cutting edge stuff.

I have noticed that since Bobby has been elected more and more fundamental conservatives have been gaining office. This is fantastic! Now I have folks like Eric Skrmetta on important environmental committees telling everyone how man-made global warming is a sham. Truly a beautiful thing, please keep polluting Louisiana and see if you can drop some more of it in the river while you're at it!

Well I have no one to blame but myself. I thought you were a bright and moderate individual Mr. Jindal. I believed you'd apply fiscal conservatism in conjunction with innovation and empathy while holding people accountable for their actions. You have fallen grievously short on all counts. You have done all you can to subsidize wealthy corporations while gutting our public healthcare system and education system. You have completely disregarded anyone with a progressive viewpoint in your lust for conservative political advancement. I voted for you and I daily chastise myself for the phenomenal lapse in judgment. Please Bobby do us all a favor and see if Governor Palin in Alaska needs a running mate and get the hell out of Louisiana.