He Asked??????

When I read this, I thought this guy is lucky he is not my husband.

AJC:

South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford sat in her oceanfront living room Friday, recalling how her husband repeatedly asked permission to visit his lover in the months after she discovered his affair.

“I said absolutely not. It’s one thing to forgive adultery; it’s another thing to condone it,” Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press during a 20-minute interview at the coastal home where she sought refuge with their four sons. They were her first extended comments on the affair....

He asked permission?

Sanford is a complete idiot. He asked his wife's permission to go cavort with his mistress in a foreign country? What kind of a man disrespects his wife like this? If your daughter had come to you and told you her husband asked for permission to visit his mistress, what would you have done? Exactly.

How can anyone respect this Sanford? He disrespected his wife, his children, the sanctity of his vows, and the people of South Carolina so that he could fulfill his lust.

* IF the Minnesota Supreme Court rules in favor of DFLer U.S. Senate candidate, Al Franken, Gov. Pawlenty.....

Minnesota Public Radio:
"....says he intends to sign an election certificate in Minnesota's long-running U.S. Senate race once the court rules on the matter.

Pawlenty said on CNN's State of the Union program Sunday that he expects the Minnesota Supreme Court to rule on the case soon. He also said he expects the court to direct him to sign the election certificate and will sign it if the court instructs him to do so. He said he also won't wait too long if the case is appealed on federal court....."

Al Franken needs to be seated in the U.S. Senate ASAP.

* Gov. Mark Sanford's trip to Argentina to visit his mistress has been a very interesting sideshow. How did the governor of South Carolina think that no one would notice that he was missing for a few days? Sanford is an idiot and a buffoon.

Sanford met with his cabinet soon after his return from his tryst in Argentina.

News Yahoo:

....At one point, he likened his confession and future to the biblical plight of King David — and looks of nervousness and incredulity crept into the officials' faces....

Sanford is a complete hypocrite. He has no moral ground. He betrayed his wife, his vows, and his children. Sanford now thinks he can make things better with a stupid apology and a comparison with a biblical figure. I'm sure that the people of South Carolina are embarrassed by this man as their governor. If Sanford stays in office, he continues to be a reminder of the real meaning of Republican family values.

Horrifying Story

As a dog owner, I was horrified when I read about this story.
Dispatch:

A Columbus firefighter admits that he took his two dogs to the basement, tied them up and blasted them with a rifle so he and a girlfriend could vacation without paying to board the animals.....

...Firefighter David P. Santuomo, 43, pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of animal cruelty and one count of possession of a criminal tool -- for taping a 2-liter plastic bottle onto the gun as a makeshift silencer....

...Santuomo, who did not give a statement in court, will spend 90 days in jail, pay $4,500 to cover the cost of his investigation and serve five years' probation, Judge Harland H. Hale ruled....

This is absolutely disgusting.

Our family has pets and we've always had to pay for boarding. Some people will leave pets under the care of a trusted neighbor/friend, or hire a pet sitter. If he was unable to care for his animals, he should have surrendered them to his local shelter. I think that the judge should also have made this man do a couple thousand hours of community service.

Late Night....

My hilarious husband said he would not be home tonight because he was going to Argentina. Ha. Ha.

* Political Tiger's journal over at Democratic Underground has an extremely detailed account of "Conservative Values." If you need the dirty details, see the link.

* A conservative talk show host has been arrested and Bloomberg has the details:

A New Jersey man described as an Internet radio talk show host and blogger was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill three U.S. Appeals Court judges in Chicago who earlier this month upheld a law banning handguns.

Hal Turner, 47, of North Bergen was arrested by U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents at his home today, according to a statement issued by Chicago U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.

In the days after the judges’ June 2 decision to uphold a lower court’s dismissal of a National Rifle Association lawsuit challenging the ban, Turner posted on his Web site their names, photographs, phone numbers and work addresses, together with a picture of the courthouse delineating stanchions he called “anti-truck bomb barriers,” according to Fitzgerald.....

Hal Turner? According to the article, Turner was arrested before for inciting violence. Is this the right wing terrorism we were warned about by Homeland Security?

Here We Go Again

Gov. Sanford of South Carolina has appeared again.
LA Times:

South Carolina's wandering governor, Mark Sanford, said today he had an affair with an Argentine woman and that was why he disappeared without telling anyone he went to South America.

"The bottom line is this: I've been unfaithful to my wife," he said. "I've developed a relationship with a dear dear friend from Argentina."

Speaking at a nationally televised news conference, Sanford apologized to his wife, his four boys, his family and the people of South Carolina for his disappearance and for leaving his staff and family to make up excuses for his absence. Sanford's staff had insisted at one point that he was off hiking on the Appalachian Trail.....

Incredible. Is this what Republican family values means?

> The newspaper, The State, has more details:

....Sanford did not respond when asked if he would resign as governor....
....Sanford’s relationship with the woman in Argentina became more sexually charged about a year ago, but Sanford’s wife did not learn of the affair until about five months ago. The Sanfords have since been in counseling......

I guess Sanford can kiss his political future goodbye. Why do these "family values" Republicans cheat on their wives?

Taking Notice

* Gov. Mark Sanford, Republican of South Carolina, has probably seen his future in politics disappear. Sanford took a few days off and went off somewhere. Why? Where? We don't know. The fact that he just walked away from his family, his elected office, and his responsibilities, seems a little frightening.

* I watched President Obama's press conference today. We can safely assume that he is NOT taking advice from Senators Graham and McCain. I was impressed by how he stood there, and remained cool, calm, and collected as the press pushed through their questions.

* Republican State Sen. Jon Husted seems to have all his priorities confused. According to the Dayton Daily News, Husted is suddenly concerned that libraries across the state would lose some funding under Gov. Strickland's proposed cuts. Just a few days ago, the Dayton Daily News reported that Husted was upset that college internships were losing funding. Give me a break. Things are tough right now. Cuts, unfortunately, must be made, and we must all learn to do with a little less. The Dayton Daily News appears to be part of the Husted public relations department.

The Incomplete Bio

As I was checking around the net, I noticed that Republican John Kasich has an incomplete biography on his website. Kasich is a GOP candidate for Ohio governor. It seems that Kasich left out a few details about what he has been doing for the last few years. Kasich did not mention that he worked for Lehman Brothers. Lehman Brothers. Let me remind you what happened to Lehman Brothers---

CNBC.com (September 15, 2008):

Lehman Brothers, which filed for bankruptcy Sunday to became the largest casualty of the global credit crisis, is in advanced talks to sell its investment management business, including the crown jewel, Neuberger Berman....
.... [LEH 1.09 --- UNCH (0) ] is the biggest investment bank to collapse since 1990....

Forbes has this:

....Mr. Kasich has been Managing Director of the Investment Banking Group of Lehman Brothers Holdings Incorporated, in Columbus, Ohio, since January 2001....

Kasich was the Managing Director of Lehman Brothers Investment Banking Group. Wow. After leaving Lehman Brothers he wants to run Ohio?????

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all!

Getting down to business.....

Trust me. President Obama has not asked me for advice. However, if he did call upon me for some advice, I'd tell him the following:

1. I agree with Robert Reich (http://robertreich.blogspot.com)!!!!!

...Forget the Republicans. Forget bipartisanship. Universal health care can pass with 51 votes. You can get 51 votes if you give up on trying to persuade a handful of Republicans to cross over.....


Right on, Robert!!!! President Obama, forget the Republicans and trying to be nice. Get it done!

2. Thank you, President Obama, for your tribute to fathers. That White House forum you had about fatherhood was perfect.

3. Do more to help the poor. In these tough economic times, we need to help those less fortunate. If the government cannot do more, encourage citizens to donate and help out people in their communities.

4. Encourage parents and adults to read to children.

5. Thank you for continuing to support our troops, military families, and those injured/wounded. We must continue to do more to assist them. We need to get our troops home ASAP from Iraq and Afghanistan. Please end the DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell). We are losing valuable military personnel when we need them most.

6. Thank you, President Obama, for bringing intelligence and common sense to the White House. Please do not relax too much. There is so very much that still needs to be fixed and changed.


There you have it. I've said all I have to say for this moment.

Just Listen

* Surprise! Surprise! The supreme leader of Iran has ruled, and the people of Iran are the losers.
LA Times:

Iran's supreme leader today ruled out massive fraud in elections last week and warned hundreds of thousands taking part in a series of peaceful protests against the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to get off the streets, blaming foreign leaders and media for exploiting differences within Iran's political scene in an attempt to destabilize the Islamic Republic.

Though Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized some of Ahmadinejad's campaign season conduct and condemned the killing of students by pro-regime loyalists earlier this week, he came down strongly on the side of the president and his faction while warning supporters of losing candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi of consequences if they don't end their civil disobedience.....

Here in this country, Republican members of the House and Senate, have been complaining that President Obama isn't doing enough to denounce the government of Iran. Don't you think that the Republicans would complain no matter what President Obama says or does?

* What kind of shenanigans were the Republicans up to yesterday with all those silly votes? When will the Republicans start acting like grown ups instead of third graders? Why did Republicans continue to push for stupid amendments and then ask for continuous roll call votes? If you are wondering what I'm talking about, just check the Legislative Day for June 18, 2009 from the Office of the Clerk:

(This is only a small portion of the record.)

2:28 P.M. -

The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 2847.

2:27 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Flake amendment Failed by recorded vote: 124 - 303 (Roll no. 382).

2:20 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Flake amendment Failed by recorded vote: 119 - 306 (Roll no. 381).

2:13 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Flake amendment Failed by recorded vote: 100 - 318 (Roll no. 380).

2:07 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Flake amendment Failed by recorded vote: 107 - 320 (Roll no. 379).

2:01 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Flake amendment Failed by recorded vote: 130 - 295 (Roll no. 378).

1:54 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Campbell amendment Failed by recorded vote: 102 - 317 (Roll no. 377).

1:48 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Campbell amendment Failed by recorded vote: 129 - 295 (Roll no. 376).

1:41 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Campbell amendment Failed by recorded vote: 123 - 303 (Roll no. 375).

1:35 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Hensarling amendment Failed by recorded vote: 115 - 311 (Roll no. 374).

1:27 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Hensarling amendment Failed by recorded vote: 134 - 294 (Roll no. 373).

1:20 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment Failed by recorded vote: 161 - 262 (Roll no. 372).

1:14 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Reichert amendment Agreed to by recorded vote: 417 - 1 (Roll no. 371).

1:07 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Jordan (OH) amendment Failed by recorded vote: 147 - 275 (Roll no. 370).

1:01 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Price (GA) amendment Failed by recorded vote: 188 - 236 (Roll no. 369).

12:50 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Burton (IN) amendment Agreed to by recorded vote: 262 - 162 (Roll no. 368).

12:44 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Blackburn amendment Failed by recorded vote: 177 - 248 (Roll no. 367).

12:37 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Nunes amendment Failed by recorded vote: 208 - 218 (Roll no. 366).

12:29 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Hodes amendment Agreed to by recorded vote: 422 - 0 (Roll no. 365).

12:22 P.M. -

On agreeing to the Price (GA) amendment Failed by recorded vote: 165 - 257 (Roll no. 364).

Don't these Republicans have better things to do with their time than to play games? People are out of work, two wars are going on, foreclosures are at an all time high, and the Republicans have nothing better to do than to act like complete fools and waste time and money.

Bits and Pieces

* Last night on the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, a writer from The Huffington Post detailed how he has been able to keep updating information on the unrest in Iran. If you are interested in following the news in Iran, check out material posted at The Huffington Post.

* I watched the David Letterman Show last night. He made fun of the "Fire David Letterman" rally outside his studio. There were about 40 demonstrators there. Wow! What a crowd!

* I've just finished an awesome book by Ron Rash called SERENA. It is a book that is difficult to put down. Although the story is set during the early 20th century, the reader can see how power and greed causes people to go to any length to keep it. Today's Wall Street mess certainly comes to mind.

* Who are Heidi and Spencer? Why are they in the news? Did they find a cure for cancer or bring peace to the world?

Take My Word

* Still no decision on the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota.

* A report on charter schools has some interesting findings.
Star Tribune:

.....The report, from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University, examines the performance of 70 percent of the nation's charter school students in 15 states.

Nationwide, the report found, 17 percent of charter schools provide "superior education opportunities" for their students, half have results that are "no different" than the public school option, and 37 percent deliver results that are worse than their students would have realized had they remained in traditional public schools....

Personally, I think that most charter schools are a waste of tax payer money.

>>>> It looks like there are some racists in the Tennessee GOP. Check out this report from the Tennessean:

...Sherri Goforth, an aide to Sen. Diane Black, R-Gallatin, was issued a verbal and written rebuke for forwarding a picture that made light of Obama's race to other staffers.

Goforth had made "a bad decision" but would not be disciplined further because she understands the gravity of sending insensitive e-mails, Black said.....
....A note on the flier said it was paid for by the Tennessee Republican Party, but GOP officials have denied that they produced it....

I want to know why Miss Sherri Goforth wasn't fired. This shows she misused state owned computers, wasted work time, and forwarded racist materials. The fact that Tennessee Sen. Diane Black has let her go with "....a verbal and written rebuke...." is unacceptable.

Why are there still so many racists in the Republican Party???

**** The ABA Journal has a story about Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama and his stated opposition to Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.
ABA Journal:

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., was denied a seat on the federal bench in 1986 when Democratic critics accused him of racial insensitivity--charges he denied, CNNPolitics.com reported late last month. Now he is the top Republican senator on the Senate Judiciary Committee helping decide the fate of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

Sessions said on Monday he is concerned that President Obama is choosing “activist” judicial nominees who would push federal courts "far to the left," USA Today reports....

I hate when Republicans say they are "concerned" about someone or something. It is just a code word for their lack of support for a vote.

CNN:

In 1986, Sessions was a 39-year-old U.S. attorney in Alabama. His nomination to be a U.S. District Court judge was troubled from the start because of controversy surrounding his prosecution of civil rights activists for voting fraud.
Sessions' fate was sealed after Democrats called several witnesses who accused him of a pattern of racial insensitivity -- including calling a black lawyer "boy" and civil rights groups such as the NAACP "un-American."
...Democrats pounded him during his marathon confirmation hearings. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, was quoted at the time as saying he was "concerned about the racist remarks that Mr. Sessions has acknowledged that he made."

Does Sessions still hold racist views? Should anyone believe anything he says? Does he still refer to minorities in racially insensitive ways?? Does Sessions believe that a person of Latino ancestry could be a good judge? Just asking.

Monday Morning

* I guess the world has learned that the idea of free and fair elections does not exist in Iran.

* There was a basketball game last night???? We didn't watch it. I'd bet that a lot of people in Ohio skipped it entirely.

* The Republicans have done a poor job of recruiting new people for their party. As the GOP continues to alienate women, African-Americans, Hispanics, and other groups, they continue to be the party of old white men. If the Republicans make disparaging comments about Sonia Sotomayor, more and more people will turn away from them. Just what do the Senate Republicans object to about her? Do they dislike her because she is a female? Are they trying to prevent a person of Hispanic background from being seated on the Supreme Court? I don't think that the Republicans have an authentic reason to object to her nomination.

* Raw Story:
A high-ranking South Carolina Republican activist has issued an apology after comparing First Lady Michelle Obama to a gorilla.

Rusty DePass, a former chairman of the Richland County Republican Party, made the comments in a friend’s Facebook status update line after a gorilla was reported to have escaped from Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo.

According to FitsNews, the status line read: “I’m sure it’s just one of Michelle’s ancestors — probably harmless.”

I think that we can safely conclude that Rusty DePass is a racist pig. Mr. DePass is from South Carolina. I wonder if all Republicans in South Carolina share his opinion. Shame on Rusty DePass.

Those Republicans Are Hilarious

> Republican Mike DeWine, former U.S. Senator from Ohio who was defeated by Democrat Sherrod Brown, has not been taking retirement very well. DeWine must be bored. He has filed the necessary paperwork to run for office again, according to the Dayton Daily News. This time DeWine intends to run for Ohio Attornery General. DeWine represents old the old Republican way, like George W. Bush. It might be a tough race for DeWine against very popular Rich Cordray, current Ohio Attorney General and a Democrat.

> Another former Republican office holder, Steve Chabot, is running again after he was defeated by Rep. Steve Driehaus (OH-1), a Democrat. Chabot was a major, major supporter of George W. Bush and even had Bush attend a fundraiser for him. Chabot voted against the SCHIP health program for poor children.

Mike DeWine and Steve Chabot need to get real jobs! Both of them have absolutely nothing new to offer Ohioans except the same, tired, old, pro-business, tax cuts for the rich, and trickle down economics. We've moved on and we don't need their tired, old, worn out ideas.

>>>> I LOVE this headline from DailyKos:

Fat guy blames "exercise freaks" for health care disaster

On the Rush Limbaugh radio program this week, he said that these "exercise freaks" have caused the problems we face in health care. Obviously, we can all tell that Limbaugh is not an "exercise freak" because of rotund body. Limbaugh doesn't seem to understand that if one takes care of his or her health through diet and exercise, heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity will not be problems.

Yea, Friday!!!

* TGIF!!!!

- The entire David Letterman vs. Sarah Palin spat has been blown out of proportion by the Palin family. After watching Palin on the Today Show, I can conclude that she never even saw the video of Letterman's joke, but Palin was relying on the interpretation by some right wing radio talker. If Sarah Palin did not want her children to be the center of media attention, she should not have paraded her entire family in front of the media, and talked about her daughter's pregnancy so openly.

The more I see and hear Sarah Palin, the more my view of her is solidified: She is annoying.

* No surprise here--- According to an article in the Dispatch----

Honda Motor Co. has never had much interest in the assets of General Motors or Chrysler, but it remains open to sharing hybrid and other technology with rival automakers, a senior executive said.

Executive Vice President Koichi Kondo said Honda was approached by Chrysler LLC as a possible partner but Japan's No. 2 automaker didn't have to think long in rejecting the offer because it didn't see any benefits....

Seriously, why would Honda want to shoot itself in the foot?

Free Speech & Personal Repsponsibility

My sympathy goes out to the family, friends, and colleagues of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, who was killed yesterday at the Holocaust Memorial Museum. For additional information, read/watch info at WAMU radio.

Here is a story from the Huffington Post from April 14, 2009:

....take a look at a new report issued by the Department of Homeland Security that says right-wing extremism is on the rise throughout the country.

In the report (a full copy of which is below), officials warn that right-wing extremists could use the bad state of the U.S. economy and the election of the country's first black president to recruit new members to their cause....

......The agency warns that an extended economic downturn with real estate foreclosures, unemployment and an inability to obtain credit could foster an environment for extremists to recruit new members who may not have been supportive of these causes in the past....

The right wing conservatives have turned up the heat with their hate talk and attacks on the administration. When Rush Limbaugh says things that are hateful, these words give fuel to these homegrown hate groups. Limbaugh can and should contribute to the discussion of issues, but his verbal attacks on the race and background of the President are wrong. Yes, we have freedom of speech, but there is responsibility that goes with that.

Losers

As of this date, it appears as though the Republicans are content to have Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich as their leaders. According to what I've seen on TV, Gingrich spoke for nearly and hour in front of contributors at a recent fundraiser. From the excerpts I watched on TV, Newt's speech appeared to be a real yawner. He still seems to be living in the 90's. Gingrich's marital woes might actually make him an unattractive presidential candidate. With three marriages and two divorces, Gingrich is not a man that I would seek to lead this country.

Limbaugh, on the other hand, has his own issues. He can pontificate from the safety of his broadcasting studio without fear, but he rarely ventures out into the public except into friendly right wing fundraisers. With his baggage, it is amazing that GOPers are so in love with him.

Waiting and Watching

With so many things happening in the news, it is hard to keep up with so many events----

* When will the Minnesota Supreme Court rule on the U.S. Senate race between DFL candidate Al Franken and GOPer Norm Coleman? Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaase!!! We need Franken in the Senate ASAP. Coleman, on the other hand, just needs to go away.

* Judge Sonia Sotomayor has been meeting and greeting Senators this week. I hope her vote comes soon because we need her on the Supreme Court.

* How can the people of Oklahoma not hide their heads in shame every single time Sen. James Inhofe opens his mouth? I know that there are smart people in Oklahoma, but why do they keep electing Inhofe???????

* Gov. Sarah Palin is such an awful speaker. I saw a clip of the speech she gave when Michael Reagan visited her state. She just butchered it.

* If you missed Stephen Colbert's show in Iraq last night, you might still be able to catch it online or reruns. Colbert's new hair cut is a classic.

* Why are some Republicans against science, technology, and math coordination? Do they want our young people to grow up stupid and uneducated??? In a recent vote (Roll Call Vote 312) on H.R. 1709 (from Thomas: Title: To establish a committee under the National Science and Technology Council with the responsibility to coordinate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education activities and programs of all Federal agencies, and for other purposes.), 39 Republicans voted against the bill!!!! I know you are wondering which Republicans voted against H.R. 1709? I'm so glad you asked!

Akin Bachmann Boehner Boustany Broun (GA) Campbell Carter Chaffetz Coble Conaway Culberson Duncan Flake

Foxx Franks (AZ) Garrett (NJ) Gohmert Hensarling Issa Jordan (OH) King (IA) Kingston Lamborn Linder Lummis Marchant

McClintock McHenry Neugebauer Nunes Paul Pence Poe (TX) Scalise Sensenbrenner Shadegg Stearns Thornberry Westmoreland

Many of these same House Republicans just vote "NO" on everything. Do they even think about the vote or do they just follow the commands of their leader Boehner?

By the way, have you contacted your member of the House and your Senators regarding health care? This might be a good time to write them a letter or e-mail and let them know your views.

Don't Get Me Started!!!!!

Republicans have had some not-so-nice things to say about President Obama's recent trips. Apparently, the Republicans are suffering from amnesia because they are unable to recall the record-breaking vacation tally reached by then President George W. Bush. You are probably asking yourself: How much time did George W. Bush actually spend on vacation?

Daily Kos has the numbers:

...As it turns out, Bush easily eclipsed Ronald Reagan's previous record for presidential sloth. By March 2008, Bush had spent all or part of 879 days at his Crawford, Texas ranch or at Camp David, surpassing Reagan's mark of 866. By the time he left office, George W. Bush had made 149 trips to and spent 487 days at Camp David, with another 77 getaways to (and 490 days at) Crawford. Toss in 11 visits and 43 days at his folks' compound in Kennebunkport, Maine and President Bush spent 1020 days - 35% of his presidency - getting away from the White House.....

Holy Cow!!!!! Bush spent ...35% of his presidency... on vacation!!!!!!

The next time you hear a Republican complain about Obama's work habits, please remind them that President Obama has a long way to go to catch up with Bush. President Obama actually works a longer day by putting in several hours after dinner (W would be asleep by 9pm). The Republicans have no room to talk!

Is this a break in secrecy?

Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-9th) said that Republican Rep. John Kline (MN-2nd) left an intelligence meeting early and had a news conference where he talked about classified information. He was also joined at the news conference by Republican Rep. Hoekstra, who was not even at the meeting. Don't these Republicans know that they are to keep secret those intelligence meetings? Kline should be thrown off the intelligence committee asap.

Obama at Buchenwald

This morning President Obama, Elie Wiesel, Angela Merkel, and others are touring Buchenwald, a Nazi concentration camp outside of Weimar, Germany. Elie Wiesel was a teenager when he was captured by the Nazis and put into a concentration camp. His story and experiences were told in his book, Night. Buchenwald was just one camp, but the horror of the Nazis was repeated over and over again all over Europe until the Allies stopped the madness.

If you are interested in additional reading material about Elie Wiesel, and the Holocaust, I'd suggest the following list of books (this is a small list):

Night, by Elie Wiesel
The Theory and Practice of Hell, by Eugen Kogon
The Upstairs Room, by Johanna Reiss
The Diary of Anne Frank
Anne Frank Remembered, by Miep Gies
Survival in Auschwitz, by Primo Levi
From the Ashes of Sobibor, by Thomas Blatt

Thursday's Notes

* It appears that many central Ohioans greeted Republican John Kasich's announcement to run for Ohio governor with little interest. Kasich, a former congressman and former employee of the failed Lehman Brothers, had a crowd of just over 1,000 (according to police reports published in snponline.com). Yawn...

>> There is a very interesting article by Caleb Hannan from the Nashville Scene that compares President Obama and former President George W. Bush:

This week's New York Times magazine features a Matt Bai cover story about how President Obama and his staff are using their Senatorial contacts to push through key legislation, including the health care reform package that will dominate this fall's session. If all of that sounds like one big snoozefest, have no fear. Cuz we're about to talk about how former President Bush is no different than an eight-year-old at a tea party.

Here's the background. Bai is talking to Montana Senator Max Baucus, chair of the powerful Finance Committee.Thanks to the dual-whammy of Tom Daschle's tax troubles and Ted Kennedy's ailing health, Baucus has become the Obama Presidency's go-to guy in the Senate. Bai wants to know the difference between the new POTUS and the last guy:

When I asked Baucus, who worked with George W. Bush to pass his tax cuts in 2001, what kind of impression he had formed of Obama to this point, he looked down at his hands and thought for a moment. "How do I say this delicately?" he asked. "President Bush, he liked being president. You know, there are be-ers, and there are doers. And I think he liked being president, as opposed to doing." Obama, on the other hand, strikes Baucus as a doer. "You've really got to work at it, rather than just enjoying the job," he said....

I guess the title of the article by Caleb Hannan predicted the jist of the story:
"Oh, Now It Makes Sense: President Bush Just Liked to Play Dress-Up"

* I hope you've had the chance to see the NBC special about the Obama White House. It appears that the White House staff and the President are really working hard. The President even reads his briefing material! If you watched it, you'll come to the same conclusion that I did---- President Obama is working harder and putting in more time to try to fix our problems.

*If you are looking for work in central Ohio, you might want to check out the Safe Auto careers web page.

Politics

There is a lot of public information that you can find online about political contributions. Here are some examples of info I found about Republican Rep. Steve Austria (OH-7):

According to the Federal Elections Commission, Republican candidate and incumbent, Rep. Steve Austria (OH-7) and/or his election committee has received money from:
FEC: (This is only a sampling. If you visit the FEC link, you'll see it all.)

Altriapac, $1000
Duke Energy Corp. PAC, $1000
First Energy Corp. PAC, $1000
Huntington Bancshares PAC (HBI-PAC), $2000

It should be noted that BANKPAC, a lobbying group that supports the rights of banks, really, really, really likes Steve Austria. BANKPAC, according to this FEC link, has contributed to the candidacy of Republican Rep. Steve Austria at total of $10,000.

*** There is still fallout from the announced move of NCR from Dayton, Ohio, to Georgia. Daytondailynews.com has an article that indicates that Republican State Senator Jon Husted is trying to get ideas from the public on what to do next. Perhaps if Husted actually lived in his district of Kettering instead of Upper Arlington, a suburb of Columbus, he would have seen NCR hatching these plans to move the company. If he lived in Kettering, Husted could have talked to workers, neighbors, friends, and constituents, and the NCR plans would have come up in conversation. Husted seems to have been blindsided by the entire NCR move, because he is not residing in his district.

I've said it before and I'll say it again--- Husted has lost the ability to know what is going on in Kettering. Instead of spending time in his district, Husted is now touring the entire state of Ohio in his effort to be elected Ohio Secretary of State. Kettering has been put on the back burner while Husted tries to fulfill his political aspirations. The people of Kettering should be claiming 'taxation without representation' as long as Republican Husted is their state senator.

Kasich--Forget About It

John Kasich has announced his intention to run as a Republican candidate for Ohio governor. The Ohio Democratic Party has a very informative video about Kasich and his ties to Lehman Brothers. The website is called www.TruthAboutKasich.com and it was noted today at Daily Kos.



An article from the Republican-loving Columbus Dispatch, reviews some ties that might prove as hazardous for Kasich (see Dispatch 1/12/09). According to the Dispatch, Kasich's association with Lehman Brothers might be seen as unappealing to voters. He has also made lots and lots of money while serving on various boards.

Forbes has this on some of Kasich's income:
Total compensation: as a Director, Worthington Industries (2008).....$87,271.00
Total compensation: as a Director, Worthington Industries (2007)......$97,226.00
Total compensation: as a Director, Invacare Corporation (2008).........$65,828.00
Total compensation: as a Director, Invacare Corporation (2007).........$60,238.00
Total compensation: as a Director, Invacare Corporation (2006)........$48,525.00

Kasich's income from Lehman Brothers does not seem to be as available, but I'll keep looking.

Hate Driven Rhetoric

President Obama's first pick for a vacancy on the Supreme Court has exposed some real ugliness from the Republican Party. With Republicans like Rush Limbaugh, Tom Tancredo, Newt Gingrich, and others voicing their opposition to Judge Sonia Sotomayor's elevation to the highest court in the land, you wonder if other GOPers are uncomfortable with the nomination of a woman of Hispanic background as well. Since Limbaugh is considered the leader of the Republican Party, do his statements about Sotomayor represent everyone within the party?

I have many questions I'd like to ask members of the Republican Party. Here are a few of them:

* Are Americans of Hispanic/Latino background wanted within the GOP?
* Why is there such hatred spewing from the mouths of Limbaugh, Tancredo, and Gingrich, and yet no one within the GOP tells them to stop?
* Why are there so few women and minorities in offices of power within their party?
* Do members of the Republican Party care that their party appears to be anti-everyone except white males?
* Will Senate Republicans give Sotomayor a fair hearing, or will they continue to focus on one comment she made many years ago?

I'm sure that if you were given the chance, you'd have better questions than mine. In my humble opinion, the Republican Party just looks like a party that is exclusively white and driven by hate.