Senator Franken, Citizen Palin and I Wish We Could Just Call Him Joe, Joe Biden, Political Hypocrisy.
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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
July 8, 2009
Summer Schedule
Today's Zinger:
Politics Is A Revolving Door. One Comes In, One Goes Out, And One Is Stuck In The Turnstile.
The Morning Briefing:
Saturday Night Live opens in the Senate. Al Franken sworn in as Senator Franken.
Sarah Palin resigns as Governor of Alaska. Palin proves she should not be Vice President.
Joe Biden is confused on the Economy. Biden proves he should not be Vice President.
Other Items of Interest:
The Republicans are Hypocrites. They are more interested in what goes on in your bedroom than what goes on in your community.
The Woman's Movement Is Over. The lack of response to the Palin attacks from the woman's groups must mean that they no longer exist.
Summer Thoughts:
Saturday Night Live opens in the Senate. Al Franken sworn in as Senator Franken.
I was getting my hair cut this morning and while waiting I read the headlines of the newspaper, “Comedian becomes Senator”. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since politics has become somewhat of a joke these days. Al Franken will fit right in. Yesterday marked the official Democratic filibuster proof majority in Congress. No longer do the Democrats have to listen to, engage with or even converse with the Republican minority. Any legislation that they wish to enact can be swiftly brought forward and placed into law without fear of the minority influencing the legislation, or getting in the way as the majority puts it.
This also means that any pork that the majority party wishes to add to a bill will meet limited resistance. The most recent example is the energy bill that was brought to a vote before the 300 page amendment was finished printing. If we thought the current administration was moving fast in the past six months, just wait until Al Franken throws his filibuster-busting vote in to the mix. A future headline will surely read, “Senators become comedians.”
Our political system is no longer about electing a candidate to represent you. We elect a party. Party politics has become so dominant that few candidates can stand on their own agenda. The parties control a significant portion of the money that most candidates receive, they control the sound bites that we all hear repeated endlessly and they control the voting block on legislation.
With one party dominating the other, there is little opportunity for debate and the minority (in this case 44% of the United States citizens) can now be marginalized. The Democrats will truly have a party in Washington, but if you are a conservative, you are not invited. Teams produce better results than individuals. It is the give and take of ideas and agendas that best represents the masses. If one group dominates it is like a frat house in college, and we can imagine how decisions are made in frat houses.
Sarah Palin resigns as Governor of Alaska.
I got into a lengthy debate about Sarah Palin this week. Actually I was engaged in a number of debates about Sarah Palin over the holiday weekend. I came away from these discussions with a number of observations that the Sarah Palin story triggered.
Sarah Palin should not be President or Vice President of the United States. If Sarah Palin isn’t strong enough to work through the difficulties of the media attacking her while she is Governor, or juggling the demands of office with media, legal matters and elections, I certainly don’t think I want her to be in national office having to defend herself, her family and this country from the attacks that go along with being the Vice President, or potentially President, of this country. She will certainly be attacked from all sides. Quitting is giving up no matter what spin you want to put on it.
The media is irresponsible and has taken the lead in shaping the politics of our country. The media is allowed to operate without regard to slandering a public official or violating the right to privacy for their family. The media did not challenge Sarah Palin on her policies or accomplishments. The media demeaned her on a personal and sexual bias level. Many in the media made wild accusations about Palin and her family that were proven untrue. They belittled her intellect. Sarah Palin represented the average American, not the elitist, not the Ivy League, not Madison Avenue. She is a person that experienced all that is good about this country. Palin is an average American woman that got involved in politics for all the right reasons, and succeeded. Was she lucky? Probably, but so was Bill Clinton to be President during the internet growth years that produced increased wealth for all segments of the American economy. The attacks on Palin were sexist and politically motivated. I am not a supporter of Sarah Palin, however I resent what the media and the political operatives do to any politician in public life. It ends up hurting our country, not just the politician and their family. To those that say Palin was not qualified, I say she may not have been the best choice, but neither was Biden. Neither is Pelosi, neither is Reid. But there is no endless media or political operative outcry over their bunglings.
The Republicans are Hypocrites. The Republicans talk about constraining the size of government, limiting government influence over our private lives and giving people the freedoms that are guaranteed in our Constitution. Yet it is the Republicans that push values and religion on America. Republicans believe they have the answer to how we should all live our lives. Isn't this the same as the government interfering in our lives. Is it better for the Republican party to tell us what should go on in our bedroom than for the Federal government to tell us what should go on in our communities? The Republican party has been abducted. The religious right holds too much sway over the Republican agenda. There must be separation of church and state and this begins in the political process with Republican party. Leave values for our churches, synagogues and families to define and preserve.
Political parties are about winning elections, not about doing the right thing for Americans. I have to believe that the Democratic party, or supporters of the Democratic party, were responsible for the endless ethics charges that besieged Palin. None have been proven, yet the drumbeat of new charges continues. This just goes to show that if our judicial system was based on loser pays court and legal fees, these endless lawsuits would stop and the our judicial system would not be a tool of the rich.
The Woman’s movement is over, either because women feel that they have fully succeeded in achieving equality or because the movement was never really a movement but rather a private club of liberal activists. The leaders of the movement have demonstrated their true beliefs in their silence about Sarah Palin. The woman’s movement does not stand on principle but rather the self-interest of those individuals actively engaged in the club. I was under the impression that the woman’s movement promoted the belief that women could rise to any level in business, government or any organization, they possessed the skills and ambition to succeed while being able to raise a family and juggle all of these demands better than most men. If there was a model of success for the average women it is Sarah Palin. Instead of celebrating her success as a woman, the attacks of Palin and her family by the media went unanswered by the woman's movement. Maybe Sarah Palin didn't know the secret handshake, they use only the left hand.
Joe Biden discussing the Obama administration, Democrats and the economy: “We underestimated how bad the economy really was.”
The media might have a case for the way they treat Sarah Palin, if it weren't for Joe Biden. Joe Biden shouldn’t be the Vice President and provides irrefutable evidence that there is a need for term limits.
Joe Biden proved one of three things with his latest media foray. First, the Democrats were so focused on their own liberal agenda that they didn’t deal with the obvious problems in the economy with the thought and care that was required. Second, the stimulus bill didn’t work and they need a reason to explain the failure of the stimulus spending. Third, Joe Biden can’t be trusted to speak in public, with or without a telepromter.
Enjoy your week, We will publish again next Wednesday (July 15, 2009)
Zinger
You can share your thoughts and comments on these stories, or other stories, by clicking on the comment box below, or you can email Zingerat ZK@ZingerKing.com. Do you have a topic of interest that you would like to see discussed in ZingerKing? Drop us a line at ZK@ZingerKing.com
Have you Zinged someone lately? Please forward a link to a friend, family member or neighbor.
ZingerKing is Published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week from September through June. In July and August ZingerKing will publish on the summer schedule of once a week.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
July 8, 2009
Summer Schedule
Today's Zinger:
Politics Is A Revolving Door. One Comes In, One Goes Out, And One Is Stuck In The Turnstile.
The Morning Briefing:
Saturday Night Live opens in the Senate. Al Franken sworn in as Senator Franken.
Sarah Palin resigns as Governor of Alaska. Palin proves she should not be Vice President.
Joe Biden is confused on the Economy. Biden proves he should not be Vice President.
Other Items of Interest:
The Republicans are Hypocrites. They are more interested in what goes on in your bedroom than what goes on in your community.
The Woman's Movement Is Over. The lack of response to the Palin attacks from the woman's groups must mean that they no longer exist.
Summer Thoughts:
Saturday Night Live opens in the Senate. Al Franken sworn in as Senator Franken.
I was getting my hair cut this morning and while waiting I read the headlines of the newspaper, “Comedian becomes Senator”. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since politics has become somewhat of a joke these days. Al Franken will fit right in. Yesterday marked the official Democratic filibuster proof majority in Congress. No longer do the Democrats have to listen to, engage with or even converse with the Republican minority. Any legislation that they wish to enact can be swiftly brought forward and placed into law without fear of the minority influencing the legislation, or getting in the way as the majority puts it.
This also means that any pork that the majority party wishes to add to a bill will meet limited resistance. The most recent example is the energy bill that was brought to a vote before the 300 page amendment was finished printing. If we thought the current administration was moving fast in the past six months, just wait until Al Franken throws his filibuster-busting vote in to the mix. A future headline will surely read, “Senators become comedians.”
Our political system is no longer about electing a candidate to represent you. We elect a party. Party politics has become so dominant that few candidates can stand on their own agenda. The parties control a significant portion of the money that most candidates receive, they control the sound bites that we all hear repeated endlessly and they control the voting block on legislation.
With one party dominating the other, there is little opportunity for debate and the minority (in this case 44% of the United States citizens) can now be marginalized. The Democrats will truly have a party in Washington, but if you are a conservative, you are not invited. Teams produce better results than individuals. It is the give and take of ideas and agendas that best represents the masses. If one group dominates it is like a frat house in college, and we can imagine how decisions are made in frat houses.
Sarah Palin resigns as Governor of Alaska.
I got into a lengthy debate about Sarah Palin this week. Actually I was engaged in a number of debates about Sarah Palin over the holiday weekend. I came away from these discussions with a number of observations that the Sarah Palin story triggered.
Sarah Palin should not be President or Vice President of the United States. If Sarah Palin isn’t strong enough to work through the difficulties of the media attacking her while she is Governor, or juggling the demands of office with media, legal matters and elections, I certainly don’t think I want her to be in national office having to defend herself, her family and this country from the attacks that go along with being the Vice President, or potentially President, of this country. She will certainly be attacked from all sides. Quitting is giving up no matter what spin you want to put on it.
The media is irresponsible and has taken the lead in shaping the politics of our country. The media is allowed to operate without regard to slandering a public official or violating the right to privacy for their family. The media did not challenge Sarah Palin on her policies or accomplishments. The media demeaned her on a personal and sexual bias level. Many in the media made wild accusations about Palin and her family that were proven untrue. They belittled her intellect. Sarah Palin represented the average American, not the elitist, not the Ivy League, not Madison Avenue. She is a person that experienced all that is good about this country. Palin is an average American woman that got involved in politics for all the right reasons, and succeeded. Was she lucky? Probably, but so was Bill Clinton to be President during the internet growth years that produced increased wealth for all segments of the American economy. The attacks on Palin were sexist and politically motivated. I am not a supporter of Sarah Palin, however I resent what the media and the political operatives do to any politician in public life. It ends up hurting our country, not just the politician and their family. To those that say Palin was not qualified, I say she may not have been the best choice, but neither was Biden. Neither is Pelosi, neither is Reid. But there is no endless media or political operative outcry over their bunglings.
The Republicans are Hypocrites. The Republicans talk about constraining the size of government, limiting government influence over our private lives and giving people the freedoms that are guaranteed in our Constitution. Yet it is the Republicans that push values and religion on America. Republicans believe they have the answer to how we should all live our lives. Isn't this the same as the government interfering in our lives. Is it better for the Republican party to tell us what should go on in our bedroom than for the Federal government to tell us what should go on in our communities? The Republican party has been abducted. The religious right holds too much sway over the Republican agenda. There must be separation of church and state and this begins in the political process with Republican party. Leave values for our churches, synagogues and families to define and preserve.
Political parties are about winning elections, not about doing the right thing for Americans. I have to believe that the Democratic party, or supporters of the Democratic party, were responsible for the endless ethics charges that besieged Palin. None have been proven, yet the drumbeat of new charges continues. This just goes to show that if our judicial system was based on loser pays court and legal fees, these endless lawsuits would stop and the our judicial system would not be a tool of the rich.
The Woman’s movement is over, either because women feel that they have fully succeeded in achieving equality or because the movement was never really a movement but rather a private club of liberal activists. The leaders of the movement have demonstrated their true beliefs in their silence about Sarah Palin. The woman’s movement does not stand on principle but rather the self-interest of those individuals actively engaged in the club. I was under the impression that the woman’s movement promoted the belief that women could rise to any level in business, government or any organization, they possessed the skills and ambition to succeed while being able to raise a family and juggle all of these demands better than most men. If there was a model of success for the average women it is Sarah Palin. Instead of celebrating her success as a woman, the attacks of Palin and her family by the media went unanswered by the woman's movement. Maybe Sarah Palin didn't know the secret handshake, they use only the left hand.
Joe Biden discussing the Obama administration, Democrats and the economy: “We underestimated how bad the economy really was.”
The media might have a case for the way they treat Sarah Palin, if it weren't for Joe Biden. Joe Biden shouldn’t be the Vice President and provides irrefutable evidence that there is a need for term limits.
Joe Biden proved one of three things with his latest media foray. First, the Democrats were so focused on their own liberal agenda that they didn’t deal with the obvious problems in the economy with the thought and care that was required. Second, the stimulus bill didn’t work and they need a reason to explain the failure of the stimulus spending. Third, Joe Biden can’t be trusted to speak in public, with or without a telepromter.
Enjoy your week, We will publish again next Wednesday (July 15, 2009)
Zinger
You can share your thoughts and comments on these stories, or other stories, by clicking on the comment box below, or you can email Zingerat ZK@ZingerKing.com. Do you have a topic of interest that you would like to see discussed in ZingerKing? Drop us a line at ZK@ZingerKing.com
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Zinger
You are an equal opportunity critic. If you don't like the left and you criticize the right, what's left that's right?
Reply to this
Your reference to Bill Clinton being lucky to have been President during the economic run-up is an unfair characterization of the fact. In fact, he battled all in his administration, and all advisers beyond, in his desire to balance the federal budget and create surplus. His single-mindless determination to achieve balance gave the rest of the world renewed confidence in America, in our ability to be fiscally responsible, so they felt we were a great place to invest in once again. Prosperity during the Clinton years had little to do with luck, more to do with his determination. He also restored confidence in the "greenback" which also added to that prosperity.
Zinger, you are so right on Palin, but not so sure about Biden. Don't you think he is all about telling the truth, or his version of the truth, and we have gotten to the point in this media slick world, that the truth sounds awkward?
Wayne Jones
Reply to this
Alan Greenspan, coming into office in 1987 was most concerned about the deficits racked up in the Reagan years. Greenspan is the one that almost threatened Clinton to raise taxes or risk economic calamity due to the ever increasing deficit and the cost of interest on the deficit. In 1994, The Republican Congress committed to a balanced budget and Clinton pushed for the increases against his own judgment. Clinton took the Congressional call and cooped it as his own. Here is the New York Times article (Clinton and Balanced Budget- New York Times) Clinton was a social conservative that went against many in his own party. Following the tax hike in late 1993, the economy performed reasonably well, but not as well as one would expect given the economic cycle. The real economic boom came later in the decade, just when the economy should have slowed as it made the transition from a period of recovery to normal expansion. This expansion coincided with the run up in the stock market (from the dot com bubble) and the tax reduction that was passed in 1997. The economic benefit of the internet softened the economic effects of the tax hike and allowed Clinton to leave office saying that average income had increased more in his administration than in the Bush administration. While that is true, if we discount the internet effect (ie look at income just two years later- after the bubble) we see that income during the Clinton years did not grow as much and actually below the growth in the Bush years.
While it is always difficult to have a clear cause and effect in these analysis, it is fair to say that raising taxes in 1993 did not have the significant negative consequences that you would expect because 1) taxes were already low from the Reagan years 2) The economy was in transition from technology (internet). We saw this same effect in the turn of the centry when technology transition softened the blow of economic cycles.
That's my view.
Reply to this