Baseball and Politics

To fans of baseball, politics and poetry everywhere, a little light hearted humor appropriate for the season:

Light Hearted Humor

Well, maybe a small portion of everybody will be offended but they are the uptights who wake up every day grumpy. The rest of us like a chuckle now and then.

Romney – Gingrich 2012?

I wish Romney were saying this: Gingrich On Debt and Governance .

Then Republicans would have a candidate with a squeaky clean personal life, experience as a governor and business leader wrapped into a host of great ideas. Looking at the tea leaves, the best prediction that comes close is a Romney-Gingrich ticket.

Ding Dong, Your Government Calling

Concerned about the national debt? Fear not, it can be paid off in easy payments over sixty years. Just answer the door.

Click Here

There’s Hope for Congress Yet

If we went with the “throw the bums out” crowd and replaced all 535 members of Congress (435 in the House, 100 in the Senate) with a new randomly selected bunch, it wouldn’t take much time before similar discord erupted. Our constitutional system virtually guarantees it. So before you give up completely on the House and Senate, listen to the remarks of Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. He spoke to the Senate after the recent intense debate on the debt ceiling. He frames the key issue facing America as a choice between two competing visions of government, one espoused by those on the Left and one by those on the Right. He does not impune their motives nor does he resort to name calling but rather credits both sides with having sincerely held beliefs which they strongly support. It means there is little middle ground. America will have to sort through the 2012 campaign rhetoric, study the issues, listen to the debate and ultimately choose the path ahead. It will be a clear choice, Republican/Conservative or Democrat/Liberal. It will be one of the most critical choices in our history.

Click On: Senator Rubio’s Senate Speech (about nine minutes)

It’s a Deal, Kind Of.

Looking at the PowerPoint summary put out by Speaker Boehner’s office, it appears the Republican controlled House won the day. Of course there is enough wiggle room to weasel out of some of the provisions. For example, the multi-trillion dollar spending cuts are over ten years with no restrictions on actions of future Congresses. This concern is offset by no increase in taxes and the opportunity to pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. But it is just that, an opportunity, a requirement to vote on an amendment between October 1 and year-end 2011. Also, the debt ceiling is raised by less than $900 billion forcing Obama to come back to the well in February 2012 for an additional $1.5 trillion ceiling increase. He gets it if either the balanced budget amendment is passed or spending cuts equivalent to the debt limit increase are enacted.

Considering that polls show the GOP/Tea Party is being blamed for this crisis and Democrats control both the White House and Senate, Republicans should vote for this deal. If it fails to pass, let it be because the Democrats oppose it. Declare victory and concentrate on implementing the plan especially the section on a balanced budget amendment.