To all the major newspapers and media outlets.

An open letter to the local daily paper — almost every local daily paper in America:

I remember reading All the President's Men and thinking: That's journalism. You do what it takes to get the truth and you lay it before the public, because the public has a right to know.
This housing crisis didn't come out of nowhere. It was not a vague emanation of the evil Bush administration.
It was a direct result of the political decision, back in the late 1990s, to loosen the rules of lending so that home loans would be more accessible to poor people. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were authorized to approve risky loans.

What is a risky loan? It's a loan that the recipient is likely not to be able to repay.

The goal of this rule change was to help the poor — which especially would help members of minority groups.

But how does it help these people to give them a loan that they can't repay? They get into a house, yes, but when they can't make the payments, they lose the house — along with their credit rating.

They end up worse off than before.

This was completely foreseeable and in fact many people did foresee it. One political party, in Congress and in the executive branch, tried repeatedly to tighten up the rules. The other party blocked every such attempt and tried to loosen them.

Furthermore, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were making political contributions to the very members of Congress who were allowing them to make irresponsible loans. (Though why quasi-federal agencies were allowed to do so baffles me. It's as if the Pentagon were allowed to contribute to the political campaigns of Congressmen who support increasing their budget.)
Isn't there a story here? Doesn't journalism require that you who produce our daily paper tell the truth about who brought us to a position where the only way to keep confidence in our economy was a $700 billion bailout? Aren't you supposed to follow the money and see which politicians were benefiting personally from the deregulation of mortgage lending?
I have no doubt that if these facts had pointed to the Republican Party or to John McCain as the guilty parties, you would be treating it as a vast scandal. "Housing-gate," no doubt. Or "Fannie-gate."
Instead, it was Senator Christopher Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank, both Democrats, who denied that there were any problems, who refused Bush administration requests to set up a regulatory agency to watch over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and who were still pushing for these agencies to go even further in promoting sub-prime mortgage loans almost up to the minute they failed.

These are facts.

This financial crisis was completely preventable.
The party that blocked any attempt to prevent it was ... the Democratic Party.
The party that tried to prevent it was ... the Republican Party.

Yet when Nancy Pelosi accused the Bush administration and Republican deregulation of causing the crisis, you in the press did not hold her to account for her lie. Instead, you criticized Republicans who took offense at this lie and refused to vote for the bailout!

What?

It's not the liar, but the victims of the lie who are to blame?

Now let's follow the money ... right to the presidential candidate who is the number-two recipient of campaign contributions from Fannie Mae.

And after Freddie Raines, the CEO of Fannie Mae who made $90 million while running it into the ground, was fired for his incompetence, one presidential candidate's campaign actually consulted him for advice on housing.

If that presidential candidate had been John McCain, you would have called it a major scandal and we would be getting stories in your paper every day about how incompetent and corrupt he was.
But instead, that candidate was Barack Obama, and so you have buried this story, and when the McCain campaign dared to call Raines an "adviser" to the Obama campaign — because that campaign had sought his advice — you actually let Obama's people get away with accusing McCain of lying, merely because Raines wasn't listed as an "official" adviser to the Obama campaign.
You would never tolerate such weasely nit-picking from a Republican.

If you who produce our local daily paper actually had any principles, you would be pounding this story, because the prosperity of all Americans was put at risk by the foolish, short-sighted, politically selfish, and possibly corrupt actions of leading Democrats, including Obama.

If you who produce our local daily paper had any personal honor, you would find it unbearable to let the American people believe that somehow Republicans were to blame for this crisis.

There are precedents.
Even though President Bush and his administration never said that Iraq sponsored or was linked to 9/11, you could not stand the fact that Americans had that misapprehension — so you pounded us with the fact that there was no such link. (Along the way, you created the false impression that Bush had lied to them and said that there was a connection.)

If you had any principles, then surely right now, when the American people are set to blame President Bush and John McCain for a crisis they tried to prevent, and are actually shifting to approve of Barack Obama because of a crisis he helped cause, you would be laboring at least as hard to correct that false impression.

Your job, as journalists, is to tell the truth.
That's what you claim you do, when you accept people's money to buy or subscribe to your paper.
But right now, you are consenting to or actively promoting a big fat lie — that the housing crisis should somehow be blamed on Bush, McCain, and the Republicans.

You have trained the American people to blame everything bad — even bad weather — on Bush, and they are responding as you have taught them to.

If you had any personal honor, each reporter and editor would be insisting on telling the truth — even if it hurts the election chances of your favorite candidate.

Because that's what honorable people do.

Honest people tell the truth even when they don't like the probable consequences. That's what honesty means . That's how trust is earned.

Barack Obama is just another politician, and not a very wise one.
He has revealed his ignorance and naivete time after time — and you have swept it under the rug, treated it as nothing.

Meanwhile, you have participated in the borking of Sarah Palin, reporting savage attacks on her for the pregnancy of her unmarried daughter — while you ignored the story of John Edwards's own adultery for many months.

So I ask you now: Do you have any standards at all?

Do you even know what honesty means?

Is getting people to vote for Barack Obama so important that you will throw away everything that journalism is supposed to stand for?

You might want to remember the way the National Organization of Women threw away their integrity by supporting Bill Clinton despite his well-known pattern of sexual exploitation of powerless women.

Who listens to NOW anymore?

We know they stand for nothing; they have no principles.

That's where you are right now.

It's not too late.

You know that if the situation were reversed, and the truth would damage McCain and help Obama, you would be moving heaven and earth to get the true story out there.

If you want to redeem your honor, you will swallow hard and make a list of all the stories you would print if it were McCain who had been getting money from Fannie Mae, McCain whose campaign had consulted with its discredited former CEO, McCain who had voted against tightening its lending practices.

Then you will print them, even though every one of those true stories will point the finger of blame at the reckless Democratic Party, which put our nation's prosperity at risk so they could feel good about helping the poor, and lay a fair share of the blame at Obama's door.
You will also tell the truth about John McCain: that he tried, as a Senator, to do what it took to prevent this crisis. You will tell the truth about President Bush: that his administration tried more than once to get Congress to regulate lending in a responsible way.

This was a Congress-caused crisis, beginning during the Clinton administration, with Democrats leading the way into the crisis and blocking every effort to get out of it in a timely fashion.
If you at our local daily newspaper continue to let Americans believe — and vote as if — President Bush and the Republicans caused the crisis, then you are joining in that lie.

If you do not tell the truth about the Democrats — including Barack Obama — and do so with the same energy you would use if the miscreants were Republicans — then you are not journalists by any standard.

You're just the public relations machine of the Democratic Party, and it's time you were all fired and real journalists brought in, so that we can actually have a news paper in our city.

BECAUSE WE SAID SO!

The mainstream media has made it so obvious that they are in the tank for Obama. Why?

I believe the media feels like it is taking part in history, and it wants very badly to be part of it.

Even if it cost them their journalistic integrity.

Only 1 reporter was on the tarmac the other night in NewHampshire when John McCain arrived.
Really? Only 1 reporter needed to follow McCain.

Where is everyone else???? On Obama's plane. Touring the world with the our wannabe president. Why is Obama in Europe and the Middle East? They can't vote for him.

No, he wants the US and world to see how everyone loves him. The media has fake interviews and false footage that they constantly replay. Today I saw his royal highness step onto the basketball court ( pander alert ) in front of the troops in Afghanistan and take a shot. Swoosh! It goes right in. Oh, I am so sure that it only took one take for that. Right. And I can dunk it too.

Anyway, don't you see what is going on here? The media is tilting it's coverage to only focus on Obama. If you don't see McCain, then you will only think Obama. We used to rely on the media to keep people in line. Especially politicians. Not any more.

What, with Dan Rather, Chris Matthews, Keith Olberman ( not a journalist ), Wolf Blitzer, Katie Couric, Brian Williams, and countless other shills propping up this empty suit, - MCCain doesn't have a chance.

Any criticism by him will be portrayed by O's minions that McCain is racist. Sick.

So, when 51% of Americans think that the media is tilting its coverage towards the Messiah, then there is clearly bias present.

Why? Why does the media do this? Why do they not do their jobs right?

If someone in the media calls Barry O out on this, he chastises them and tells them how to ask him questions. He even has the audacity to do this before the question has even been asked.

So, it will be ObamaTV for the next 4 months and there is one reason why..............

BECAUSE WE SAID SO! - Sincerely, network news.

I'll bet you.....

Back in March, my co workers and I were contemplating the possible rewards of signing Shaq to the Phoenix Suns. I remember telling the enthusiastic group of Suns fans that surrounded me, that no-way was the Big Diesel going to get it done in the valley of the sun. I said at that time, and later wrote in an email to them the following......

" Neither the Suns nor the Mavs will make it out of the first round this year. The NBA Finals will be between the Lakers and Celtics. The MVP of the NBA Finals will be Paul Pierce".

Yep. That is what I said. So, you can only imagine how smarty-pantsy I must have felt when the final results mirrorred my predictions.

I am the Great Prognosticator!

So, why do I bring this up?

I have a new prediction...........

Israel will attack Iran before the November election. ( Stipulation - Obama must be a good deal ahead in the polls).

Israel fears that if Obamamamaramalamadingdong becomes President, then no US action against Iran will occur.

Israel is quite certain that it cannot defeat the worlds Muslim population without the aid of the US. Since we have a policy of defending Israel, we will be forced into a conflict that Israel creates.

Now, honestly I don't have a problem with that. Iran needs a wakeup call in the form of a "shock and awe" campaign. The population of Iran is more aligned with Western ideals than the people who control the country are. Iran sucks, I could tell you non- stop how much that I dispise them for a few days straight and never repeat myself.

Iran see's itself as a leader in the region. Geopolitically posistioned upon a jackpot called crude oil, Iran thinks that it can put a stranglehold on 40% of the worlds petroleum reserves that enter and exit through the Strait of Hormuz. Technically, they could put up a blockade.

Problem is...... The US Navy is already there waiting for them to do this. If they do this, we will engage them.

Or at least I hope we do.

I have made many predictions in my life, most of them turn out to be wrong.
I pick my Dallas Cowboys to win the SB every year.
I once said that computers are just a "fad".
I once said that no way, no how, would the US population vote for a black man named B. Huessein Obama.

Anyway, irregardless of when, I think this is one you can count on.

In case you weren't aware. Israel attacked a site in Syria(Dec 2007) that was holding a massive collections of WMD's. ( Many experts think that these could be a large sample of what Saddam removed before weapons inspectors got there).

Did you hear about it on the news?????? NO!

Google - Israeli attack on Syrian nuclear site.

Israel will not wait for permission to protect itself.

When is 9% Acceptable?

Would 9% be acceptable to you?

Well, if only 9% of tax returns were paid out - would you be happy?
If only 9% of the doctors did their job well - would you accept that?
If you had a company of 100 employees, and only 9 did a good job - would you fire anyone?

Why do I bring this up?

According to Rassmussen polls, the current congressional approval rating is 9%.

I say again, 9%.

Is 9% acceptable? I say NO!

If 91% of the people polled think that Congress is doing a bad job, then why do these individuals still continue to hold their respective positions?

Do these poll participants think their congressman is " the good one" and all the other ones are
" the bad ones"?

Probably. This why I built this blog ( Thanks James O ). I need new leadership.

I think they all suck. They are all part of the problem. The system is sound. The people doing the jobs are screwed up.

Here's a clue to the representatives: Do what the people ask you to do! Period.

Quit doing things that only help your own district.
Quit earmarking money for your own pet projects that only serve to make a name for yourselves. ( I.e. - metro rail projects ).
Quit blocking legislation voted for and approved by the people. ( Prop 200 in AZ).
Quit pandering and cowtowing to slack-jawed special interests. ( MoveOn.org)
Drill for OIL HERE AND NOW! ( duh!)

In short, JUST QUIT. Seriously, do all of us a favor. Quit. Imagine the respect you would get when one day you just came out and stated on the capitol steps, " I'm out, I've got nothing".

YOU, yes You, could be the one congressperson who would be telling the truth.

Because, really - you have nothing to offer our nation at this point. If you are a senator or rep serving in the current Congress, you have nothing. You have proven nothing. You have wasted time and money in securing your own interests and future wealth. Obviously, you have either done a bad job ( 9% ) or you have failed miserably to communicate what exactly it is you have accomplished. Which is simply put - nothing. nada. zip. zero.

Do you want to know what this Congress has produced since taking over in Nov 2006?

HHHMMMMM????? I'm waiting.

Here, let me help you - They redesigned the freaking lunchroom at the Capitol building. Yep, that is it. Anything they have tried to pass has failed by either vote or veto.

So, I ask again. Is 9% Acceptable.

I'm going to drive home now. I hope that more than 9% of the drivers out there know how to drive.

Your thoughts?

Lets get God back in the USA.

I was listening to sermon by Newt Gingrich yesterday and I wanted to comment on it.

He was in Atlanta delivering a speech about American values and the lack of education around them.

He stated that when we removed "prayer" from our schools, our way was lost. I know it's debate-able, but I feel he is correct.

I remember in elementary school when my teachers would lead us in quick prayer. It was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and then a patriotic song chosen by one of the students.
I have fond memories of that.

I remember quite clearly when it stopped. I asked my teacher why we didn't say a prayer and she said, " The Supreme Court says we can't make you do it".

Well, as a young boy- that didn't make much sense to me. I just thought we were doing the right thing. We were only saying a nice prayer that asked God to help us do well in our lives. What could be bad about that?

I started to ask questions to my parents, whom by the way are not religious by any means, what was happening. It was then that my dad explained the way the Supreme Court rules. Back then there were 12 judges not 9. I still thought that it was weird that only a handful of people could make the rules for the entire USA. How powerful those people must be, I thought to myself. Indeed they are.

Here are some facts - Since prayer was removed .....
Petty and violent crimes have increased by 120% according to the FBI statistics gathered in 2005.
Abortions have risen to 2 million annually. - US Dept of health and human services.
Education scores has sunk to an all time low in the past 30 years. - Dept. of Education 2003

Now, to say that " not saying a prayer" caused this all to happen might seem a bit alarmist. I can understand that logic. However, I believe that God gave us this nation to serve as a beacon of hope for all of the world. When the SCotUS determined that we didn't need God in our public schools, we slapped him in the proverbial face.

I often hear the phrase " Seperation of Church and State ", as being an essential part of the US Constitution. Problem with that is.........

There is no amendment that says that. Anywhere. I will give anyone who can find the phrase "seperation of church and state" in that document a hundred dollars. It doesn't exist. Seriously. I have read the Constitution numerous times and I even corrected my college professor on this topic.

We do have a duty to preserve the ideals and values that the forefathers set forth. The Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights and the remainder of the Constitution are all based on Judeo-Christian values. More importantly the 10 commandments. Why????

Because the extremely intelligent men who wrote these documents were all very, very, very, active in their churches. Their is a carving and statue above the Supreme Court that states " IN GOD WE TRUST". It is accompanied by a marble version of the 10 commandments.

IN GOD WE TRUST has to mean something. If it doesn't mean anything here in the USA, believe me it will be utterly meaningless elsewhere on the globe.

Americans are defenders of truth, justice, faith, freedom, and liberty. We take these things very seriously. We have seen the true faces of evil in Stalin, Hitler, Mao, BinLaden, etc,etc.

Our task in the future is to fight for prayer to be in school. Our children must know that they are to be accountable to someone, to something, - that life cannot be lived without consequences.

Life is a series of choices, humans tend to be like snowflakes - we are all different. Yet, in America, despite who you are, or where you are from, you have a duty to believe in the ideals and principles that we hold dear. In the past, you had to agree to this before you could become a citizen. I know, my parents are immigrants.

Happy 4th of July

To all the anti-US people out there.

"So, how does it feel to know that someone’s kid in the heart of America has blood on their hands fighting to defend your rights so you can maintain the lifestyle that insults his family’s existence ?

Well where I'm from we have a special salute waved high in the air towards all those pompous assholes who spend their days pointing fingers.

Fuck you." - Avenged Sevenfold

Quite simply - Thanks to all US servicemen and women.

God Bless you all. I hope that you stay safe and God finds favor with you and your families.

Arrogant Liberals think they can Change anything!

Recently, the US Fish and Wildlife Assc. placed the polar bear on the endangered list. Problem is, that there is absolutely no proof of them declining in their birth rate. If you can produce the proof, then post a comment. I will not find a comment, because there is no proof. Why do this? To push the global warming agenda. OOPS. I mean " climate change " agenda. Ya see, using the term global warming doesn't fly when we experienced some of the coldest years on record in the past few years.

And for those who didn't attend elementary school, " Climate change" is what killed the dinosaurs. Their time came and went. The planet moved on.

Let me tell you about endangered species, all right? Saving endangered species is just one more arrogant attempt by humans to control nature. It's arrogant meddling. It's what got us in trouble in the first place. Doesn't anybody understand that? Interfering with nature. Over 90%, way over 90% of all the species that have ever lived on this planet, ever lived, are gone. They're extinct. We didn't kill them all. They just disappeared. That's what nature does. We're so self-important, so self-important. Everybody is going to save something now. Save the trees, save the bees, save the whales, save those snails. And the greatest arrogance of all, save the planet. What?

I'm tired of these self-righteous environmentalists, these white bourgeois liberals who think the only thing wrong with this country is there aren't enough bicycle paths, people trying to make the world safe for their Volvos.

There is nothing wrong with the planet.

Nothing wrong with the planet.

The planet is fine.

The people are f**ked up.

The planet is fine.

Compared to the people, the planet is doing great. It's been here four and a half billion years. Did you ever think about the arithmetic? The planet has been here four and a half billion years. We've only been engaged in heavy industry for a little more than 200 years.

Two hundred years versus four and a half billion, and we have the conceit to think that somehow we're a threat, that somehow we're going to put in jeopardy this beautiful little blue-green ball that's just a-floatin' around the sun?

The planet has been through a lot worse than us, been through all kinds of things worse than us, been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sunspots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles, hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages, and we think some plastic bags and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference?

The planet isn't going anywhere.

We are! We're going away!

Your thoughts?

RIP- George Carlin