The day after...

 

 

"All good men, however only one has the imprimatur of party recognition..."

None of us knows for sure what is going to happen next Tuesday. Some of the poll guessers are fairly confident on some of the races, but others are just to close to call. I have a mild and tepid interest in Tuesday. Like I have said, to me having a primary after the endorsing convention is like candidate double jeopardy. Even though we already know who the winning candidates are, we are going to re-vote anyhow. What a waste of time and money.

Coming out of Rochester, the party had a modicum of solidarity as to who the torch bearer was going to be for each race. Jeff Johnson was not my guy for governor going in to the convention, but he was coming out. Two of the candidates in the governor's primary race skipped the convention all together. Another, who was losing more votes each time the ballots were counted, said "See you later - like on August 12th." Only one of the four candidates played by the endorsing rules from the get-go. He won, fair and square. Like myself and others, he won people over. In my opinion, he is the best hope to unseat our current Governor.

Four years ago, the Democrats went through the endorsement process and came up with a good candidate. An experienced woman who was tough as nails. Then all of a sudden, out of the woodwork comes Mark Dayton. A man who many thought was done after he was voted (by TIme Magazine), as one of the five worst senators of all time. However, with money comes power. The primary was held and a flawed candidate beat out the endorsed candidate. It made a mockery of the Democratic endorsement process.

My biggest concern is what will happen on August 13th. Will the Republicans coalesce around the victor(s) of the contested races, or will feelings be hurt. When I say hurt, I have heard from some if "so and so" wins, they will sit out the general. Or they will vote third party. Or they will write someone in.

As for me, if the endorsed candidates do not win, I want my time and money back. Many of us went though this sometimes bruising and lengthy process to come up with viable candidates. Some have said the endorsing process is not fair. To them I say "crap". Everyone had the opportunity to go to the meetings on caucus night. From there, the BPOU convention. Some have said this process is flawed. If so, we should fix it, or scrap it. But to have both the endorsing process AND a primary is madness. And an expensive madness to boot.

So bring on next Tuesday. The pundits are saying very few will show up. We shall see. Then after Tuesday, let the healing begin on Wednesday. If we cannot heal, we might as well just hand over four more years to Dayton and six more years to Al.  

It time to get it on!

 

 

"If it is war you seek, then it is war you shall receive..."

We may have one more battle to fight. Only this one is as old as Ishmael and Isaac. Some may call it a continuation of the Crusades, fought under Richard the Lionhearted. I am okay with that. Today this battle is good against evil. And evil today is very, very evil. I hear things, I see things, and I read things that are so heinous, I can barely believe them to be real.  

Enough is enough. As much as we want peace, the other side does not. They hate us, they hate our country, they hate our Christian and Jewish faiths. In fact, they want us dead. They don't want to sit and talk; they don't want a cease fire; they don't want peace. If that is indeed the lay of the land, then let us get it on.

I, like many, have reached the limit of tolerance. Every night on the news, we hear about horrible and unspeakable acts of barbaric violence unleashed upon innocent people. Many of these people live in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Their crime? They happen to worship a different God or belong to a different tribe. Executions, rape, mutilation, slaughter, beheadings, you name the barbarism, and it has most likely been perpetrated.

Call me old fashioned, I grew up watching Superman on TV. His motto was he fought for "truth, justice and the American way". We need to recapture that. In years past when the world was threatened, people all over the world looked towards America as being the Superman. Today, freedom loving people of the world are not accustomed to seeing their Superman reduced down to "super bystander". No, the world needs a hero, and it needs one now.

What to do. First, reaffirm to Israel that we are in this TOGETHER. In a joint press conference, inform Hamas that their days of terror are over. The next missile that gets fired into Israel will be met with an overwhelming response. It will truly be shock and awe. It will be so strong, it will make the last Israeli incursion into Gaza look like a cake walk. It is up to the people of Gaza to take back their government from these thugs.

Next, we have let this evil in Syria and Iraq go on long enough. Declare an all out air war on ISIS. We can give it to them all the way from carpet bombing to precision bombing with our smart to brilliant bombs. We will use every arrow in our quiver, from bombs to cruise missiles. We will tell the Saudis we need to use their air fields for staging. Since ISIS has declared war on us "to the death", so be it. It is their wish, not ours.

Finally, Iran. We all know what their game is. Call them on it. We will tell them in no uncertain terms that if they don't stop funding terror networks in the region (and the world), we will bomb them back to the stone age. We will also tell them their work on nuclear reactors is over. Period. This canard about needing nukes for energy is just so much BS, and we all know it. Israel, the United States, and our Euro allies will stand together on this issue.

It is time to get off the golf course, get in the situation room, and wear your job like an American President. Be the Superman. Get it on. We did not start this war, but we can sure finish it. I don't EVER want to see one more kid getting shot or beheaded by some nut ball. We paid for our military, now let us use it to rid the world of this evil!

Jimmy, Willie and Barry

 

 

"See no evil, speak no evil and hear no evil..."

What is it about evil that Democrats cannot see or do not understand? What is currently going on in Iraq, Syria and Libya is beyond a nightmare. Our current WH resident has finally come out of his "deer in the headlights" stance. The tens of thousands of innocents in Iraq are going to be sent (via USAF air mail), water and food so they don't die. ISIS (or ISIL) are waiting for them in the town down below. If they come down, rather than take their chances of the mountain they escaped to, they will be given the ISIS ultimatum - convert or die.

Obama, Clinton and Carter are (or were) all Presidents who became confused on what evil is. Bush was not. He saw 9/11 for what it was. Evil. And evil must be dealt with. Swiftly and decisively. Obama is so worried about getting his fingers dirty, we end up doing nothing. We are mere spectators to the terror and horror in countries near and far. As evil grows in the world, all we can do is continue to cut our military down to the nubbins.

When Clinton was President, he was much too concerned about other matters (if you know what I mean) to be worried about this growing evil. In February of 1993, shortly after being sworn in , the World Trade Center was bombed. Before long, we knew who the guilty party was. It was Al Qaeda, led by Osama Bin Laden. Rather than going into a full court press, Clinton gave a tepid response to this growing terrorism. Even after 1996 Khobar Bombing, and then the 2000 USS Cole bombing, Clinton did not aggressively pursue Bin Laden.

During the Carter Administration is when the ball really started to roll. In Iran, our good friend and ally (the Shah) was overthrown and a radical Islamic group took control. Our embassy was overrun and Americans were held hostage for 444 days. Rather than going in with guns blazing, we tried one feeble attempt at rescue and that failed miserably. The remainder of Carter's term was defined by perceived American weakness as our hostages waited, and waited and waited.

As much as evil grew under Carter and Clinton, it is growing like a wildfire now. We have a Commander in Chief who saves his sharp words and ire for Republicans, instead of mass murdering terrorists. Under his watch, the caliphate, real or imagined, is going to reshape the Middle East. As Bebe Netanyahu has said more than once, "Israel is looked upon by the terrorists as the little Satan - it is American who is the real target."

Wake up America. We need to wake up and make sure our President is awake. What we learned on 9/11 was a simple lesson. The great oceans that have protected us in the past, protect us no more. Evil is coming. We can either deal with it now over there, or in the near future over here.       

The value of speed...

 

 

 

"The 56K modem had gone the way of the horse and buggy. We are now in the world of Buck Rogers and beyond..."

Years ago when I worked at IBM, we would have an occasional tech briefing about different technologies the company was working on. Often times these briefings were conducted by engineers or scientists who worked at the company's Watson Lab. During one of the briefings, a new plasma display was introduced. It was the industry's sharpest display to date. Once the demo was over, the man from the lab said this was it - there would be no more improvements to the display. He went on to say the value was not there - the human eye could not discern anymore clarity. IBM had taken the technology as far as it could while  still generating value.

Many of us remember years ago sitting by our computer waiting for a download. The internet was up and running and everything was hunky dory - that is until the information hit the speed wall. Most computers had a modem - and if you were lucky, your modem was 56K. Even with 56K, some sites took minutes to download. And video? Forget about it!

That is all in the past now. Most every computer has outgrown the days of the modem and internet speeds have gone up like a Saturn Rocket. I checked my computer speed this morning. My download speed is 18 Mbps and my upload speed is 11 Mbps. That is downloading 18,000,000 bits of information per second. Compared to the old modem days, I feel like Flash Gordon. However, compared to the new fiber optic upgrades which are coming, I am running through molasses.

With my current bundle of services, my cable company offers a speed of 40 Mbps. Computer speeds are like mileage on a car. "This car will get 35mpg - that is, going downhill with the wind and your back." I don't get 40 Mbps and doubt if I ever will with the current technology and pipeline. However, there is a new kid on the block. And he is fast.

Google has managed to soup up a fiber optic network to obtain unheard of speeds. Hundreds of times faster than many current systems. How fast? Close to 1B Mbps. That is 1,000,000,000 bits of information per second. That is fast enough to download five HD videos at the same time. Plus the upload and download speeds are almost the same. Plus it does not cost an arm and a leg. Some test cities have offered this service for $70/month, and it includes 1 Tb of storage to boot.

Let me go back to the Watson Lab for a sec. The plasma screens had run their course as they could get no better. If the human eye got better, then maybe the screens could have got better also. There is also a limit to how much value we get out of speed. Even though my download speed is very slow by today's standards, it is fine for me. Someone would have to show me a value proposition on what I would receive in return for paying an additional $70/month for a 1 Gb service.

Well, that about wraps it up. I will now upload this article to the blogosphere to be downloaded by others to read. My puny speed will have it uploaded in less than a second. With the value of time these days, to me, that is still a good value.

Do I like Mike?

 

 

"I am trying. I am really trying. Lord only knows how much I am trying..."

I had my first exchange with Mike McFadden prior to attending the Rochester convention. He was a guest speaker at our BPOU meeting. He came in dressed casual, not in a suit. I liked that. During the Q+A, the question I asked him was simple - would he abide by the endorsement process. His answer was somewhat vexing to me. He said he was "in it to win it". As much as he would like to win the endorsement, if he did not receive it, it was on to the primary. I did not like that answer at all.

There were others at the BPOU who had some problems with Mike. To be specific, the answer he had previously given on a Second Amendment question. Once he sensed the blowback he was getting from many of the Tea Party faithful, he did his level best to walk that answer back. However, the damage (for many), had already been done. Once he gets to Washington, would he "drink the bathwater" like so many others have? Would he forget his Second Amendment pledge to us? Questions, questions, questions...

Down in Rochester, I had made my choice on who to vote for. It was not Mike. Not that I disliked him, I really felt Chris Dahlberg would have made a stronger candidate against Franken. Chris is a conservative, a vet and very strong in the 8th District. Mike on the other hand, was none of these. However, Mike does have money. Also on the plus side for Mike, I have never seen anyone work harder than he did as the number of ballots for endorsement increased. After a long and almost endless day, we adjourned on Friday without having a clear winner between Mike and Chris.

Well as we all know, the next morning, Mike finally prevailed and he received the party's endorsement. I made a vow long before the CD6 or Rochester conventions that I would support endorsed candidates. And I will. What I find troublesome however, is as much as Mike wants this office, his commercials are tepid at best. Al Franken's commercials on the other hand, make him look like a Senator. I would have thought with Mike's money, he could have hired a top notch "K" Street firm to make him "look like the man". Instead we get commercials about how cheap he his and some Pop Warner kid hitting him in the jewels.

I believe the primary is just going to be an exercise for Mike. Hardly anyone expects Jim Abeler to unseat Mike on August 12th. So what happens on August 13th? Does Mike get down to business? Does Jim Abeler support him? Is the party totally united behind Mike?Unlike what happened with Amy Klobuchar, do we think this seat is worth fighting for? Are we going to run a smart and well funded campaign?

I will continue to support Mike after the primary. I may have to swallow hard, but I will do it. What I hope is that Mike will start looking and acting more like Senator McFadden, and less like CEO McFadden who is on leave from his company.

The Scott Problem - Take Two

 

 

"To win the general election, you can't look like the poster boy for the 1% club..."

The state primary is only a few days away now. Many have already taken advantage of the new rules for absentee voting and filled out their ballots. I think the primary battles have been clean for the most part. Issues, not people, are being discussed and sometimes debated. It does pain me however, to see valuable resources going towards a primary battle against other Republicans rather than using them in the big war coming up in November.

Yesterday, Scott Honour gave a half hour presser on what he would like to do with the state's economy. As a retired business guy, there was not one thing he laid our in his talking points that I disagree with. That being said, I will now get back to reality. Those who know of Scott's background, know how he came to make millions of dollars. He became rich by acquiring companies, streamlining them, and then selling them. In the old days, the term for that type of business was "corporate raider". Today, those people are called "investment managers".

The Left, in many of their blogs and publications have already made Scott a poster boy in what is wrong with the "out of touch" Republican Party in Minnesota. He is a "Richie Rich" - the 1% type. The Star Tribune article from a month ago told tales of buying companies and laying off people to streamline them for future sale. Some companies had to file for bankruptcy. While doing this, Scott became fabulously wealthy. So much so, he retired at 45 and brought his millions back to Minnesota. He then bought a huge mansion on Lake Minnetonka.

Back to the press conference. In the plan Scott laid out, he went after the signature achievement of the last session's legislature. He is going to stop the minimum wage increase. Should Scott win the primary, the DFL will go after Scott hammer and tong. Again, from a business perspective, there is nothing Scott said in his conference which I disagree with. However, I also agree with something Chris Christy has said - "You can't govern if you don't win."

I am backing Jeff Johnson because he understands the lay of the land. He knows the Senate will be DFL for at least two more years. He knows it is possible for the House to stay in DFL hands. He is not a political newcomer. He knows state government, and how it works. He knows what he can and can't do depending of the landscape of the state legislature. He also knows he will be able to do nothing if he can't beat Mark Dayton.

So, my advise to Scott Honour is to drop out of the race and join Jeff Johnson's team. Team Johnson could use your help and resources. Listen and learn. Use your resources to help out the entire endorsed Republican team win. Our left leaning press often looks at candidates with immense wealth as evil if they are Republican. On the other hand, Democrats with immense wealth are often given a pass by the press.  

Planning to fail...

 

 

"It is no longer the gang who can't shoot straight - these guys cannot even shoot at all!"

In all my years, I have never seen anything like this. I am not even going to put all the blame on the White House. No, this is bipartisan and flows across two of our three branches of government. We argue, we fight, we bicker, we talk about trivial matters. Yet the extreme problems our nation faces go either un-noticed or un-solved. These people all get six figure salaries, retirement for life, extraordinary health care, and what do they do to earn it? Search me.

The summer vacation has begun. Both the House and Senate could not get out of here fast enough. You know the cycle - this is the meat of campaign season. They need to tell the folks back home they are doing a great job (the other guys however, are not), kiss some babies, eat some state fair hot dogs, and shake some hands. Then come November, the same sheeple who voted for them the last time will send them back for either 2 more years or 6 more years. Our national problems? No sweat - we will take care of them later, and more later, and more later.

What should be addressed when then come back from vacation?

• Infrastructure - This is the one that everyone loves to ignore the most. What we saw happen in LA last week was a good example. In drought stricken California, where every drop of water counts, a major water main erupted. All of our major cities have water mains who have outlasted their expected life. What are we doing about it? Nothing.
• Transportation - With our Highway Trust Fund running out of money, what is Congress doing to fix this important source of funding for our growing hi-way needs? Nothing. They passed another "stop-gap" measure which would allow the fund to limp along for another few months. Who loses? We all do.
• Agriculture - Our Ag Bill has become the Food Stamp bill. Rather than fix this bill last time, and put the SNAP Program under HHS, Congress just funded the SNAP Program for another $80B (and growing), and kicked the can down the street. Some estimate our SNAP and EBT Programs contain at least 20% fraud. Oh well, it is just money.
• Energy - Despite the President's best efforts to curtail it, the United States is becoming an energy powerhouse. However, we could be so much more with the cooperation of the White House. We have zero, zip, nada of a national energy policy. Should alternate energy sources such as renewables be a part of our energy future? Absolutely. However, so should coal, more Federal land drilling, better pipelines such as Keystone, and so on. BTW, don't forget the Yucca Mountain fiasco for our spent nuclear fuel and our aging electrical grid to boot.
• Debt - It seems like Candidate Obama was ready to have President Bush taken out of the White House in chains over his handling of our national debt. As bad as Bush was in running up an unsustainable debt, he was a rank amateur compared to now President Obama. What is being done? What about the Simpson-Bowles Debt Commission? What about anything? Our debt is approaching $18T and might be as high as $20T by the time Obama leaves office. Meanwhile, the two biggest culprits, Social Security and Medicare, continue to speed towards insolvency.

If I sound cynical, I am sorry. If I sound disgusted, I am. If these guys worked for the most poorly run company in America, they would all be fired. Will we fire them? Nope - we just re-elect them.