Political Realities

News/Politics

Health care costs – Will they go up or down?

One of the biggest campaign promises President Obama is making right now (yes, this is a campaign) is that health care costs will go down if the Democratic plan is implemented. Time after time, we have heard him say that very thing as he travels across the country, touting this plan as the go to plan for health care reform. So, are we to believe him... Read more of this article

President Obama and open government

One of the biggest criticisms of President George W. Bush and his administration is how they seemed to like governing in secret. It is no secret, pun fully intended, that the Bush administration was not the most open administration our country has seen. I won’t bore you with the specifics, but the exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)... Read more of this article

The Slaughter Solution for health care reform

Well, back to the grindstone this week and back to discussing health care reform once again. As I was driving into work this morning, NPR’s Morning Edition was discussing that this is the week when health care reform is likely to come to the floor of the House and subsequently to an up or down vote. It seemed that they are of the opinion that... Read more of this article

A tale of radical Islam, a cartoon, and a woman

It has been a long time since I have been surprised at anything coming from radical Islam. It August 18, 2007 when Lars Vilks managed to persuade a Swedish newspaper to publish a cartoon that some Muslims felt was offensive, in that it depicted the Prophet Muhammad in a less than favorable manner. He has received several death threats, with one Islamic... Read more of this article

Ground zero workers reach settlement with New York City

This article may touch a nerve in many people, especially if you or someone you know was directly affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. I apologize up front, as I mean no ill will to anyone involved in the attacks or their aftermath. During each one of our lives, there are things that stick out to us, things that may... Read more of this article

The second health care bill

Frankly, I am tired of hearing and writing about the debate over health care reform. I can’t even begin to count the articles Mike and I have written about the subject and the debate isn’t over yet. All this week, President Obama has been traveling around the country, touting the need for reform and how it needs to be done now. He told a... Read more of this article

Charges filed in death of Fort Smith baby

Charges have now been filed in the death of 1-year-old Elaine Keene, of Fort Smith, Arkansas on March 1, north of Roland. The details of this tragedy have already been discussed in this article, but at the time of that writing, it was not known who would be charged in the death. It is now being reported that Michael Clemente, 19, and Aaron Bowen, 17,... Read more of this article

Pay cut for Congress

PAY CUT FOR CONGRESS Now isn’t that a novel idea? We have all bemoaned the way Congress has acted at times. That goes for Democrats and Republicans alike and I have been as guilty as anyone else, maybe more so. Congressional approval ratings are at a very low level, with Rasmussen reporting that 71% of those polled believe Congress is doing a... Read more of this article

Tweeting the President

I have written about Twitter before and how I wasn’t sure how effective it actually is. Personally, I use the network to promote my blog, but little else. I have no interest in telling everyone what I am about to eat or where I am about to go. It can not be denied however, that Twitter continues to gain popularity and that is even more evident... Read more of this article

What is the job of our elected officials?

Comment by Mr. Pink Eyes in Larry’s post “Obama – Time to make a decision”: “I also would like to know who he thinks he is. He is supposed to act on the will of the people, not enact laws against the will of the people just because he feels it is right. He needs to remember that he works for us, we pay his salary.” Generally I think we... Read more of this article

Why is that nonprofit tax exempt?

I was recently in Asheville, NC and as I was driving around I passed a beautiful private, gated community called Givens Estates. The grounds were expertly manicured around numerous buildings, homes, and cottages. Givens is a high end retirement community with extensive programs for seniors, hiking trails, swimming pool, cultural classes, restaurant,... Read more of this article

Public perception of the automotive bailout – one year later

Please vote in the poll at the end of this article. Has it really been over a year since the first emergency loans were provided to General Motors and Chrysler? In fact, it was a year on December 19, 2009. It was then that President George W. Bush and his administration decided to give both automakers the money to keep them out of bankruptcy, at least... Read more of this article

Obama – Time to make a decision

Over the past several months, there has been countless articles written about the debate over health care reform. Since the House and the Senate passed their respective versions of reform, the debate has grown over how they will reconcile those versions into a bill that President Obama can sign into law. Mike and I both have written extensively about... Read more of this article

Coffee (Party) or Tea (Party)?

There’s a new movement developing on the political horizon calling itself the Coffee Party. Apparently it’s not much more than a month old but it’s already picking up quite a number of followers on its Facebook and web sites. The founders seem to have had no idea what they were getting into when they launched the idea of a movement to embrace... Read more of this article

The woes of the United States Postal Service

How many times have we heard this slogan? “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”. While not really the official creed of the United States Postal Service, it has often been quoted as such and it has been true to a large degree. The USPS has delivered countless... Read more of this article

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