Hi there.  I’m up in Wisconsin for a mini-family reunion.  Most of the family up here is extremely liberal, with a few conservatives tossed in.  I have to say it’s quite interesting to hear what they have to say about the election.

I also have to say that at least I have them going to third party fact checking sites to see what actually happened/what was said and what the truth is.  It won’t change their minds, but at least now they know the truth and can cast an informed vote.

Obama’s team has some aggressive radio advertising running up here.  If that is all some are listening too, I guess I would consider Bush the devil and McCain his protegee too.  It’s unfortunate that much of what is said in those ads is misleading and some of it is flat-out untrue….but what are you gonna do?  Both sides run ads like that, but I don’t hear much of Obama’s stuff in TX.

We are trying very, very hard to steer clear of political discussions.  And for the most part I have been pretty good about not starting the conversation.  However…I have to get my shots in if someone ELSE is having chat.  It’s my civic duty to educate those heathens it’s always nice to chime in and make a point where it’s warranted.

I have two and a  half more days here.  Hopefully I won’t be hearing too much more about how unprepared Palin is after last night’s debate.  But if I do, I’ll do my civic duty as always….anyway, it’s been interesting to be immersed in a large group of very passionate liberals.  Luckily, nobody has yelled at anyone and there has been no name-calling.  Civil discussions are always good.  Yelling and name-calling are not.  It’s good we can all agree on that, at least!

1.  It pleases me that McCain came out with a plan to address the situation BEFORE the news came out.

2.  It worries me that Obama did not, and still has not said what he would do if he were president.

3.  I really, really hope they just don’t give Paulson a blank check and let him spend money wherever he wants to without some sort of oversight.

4.  The oversight should be very, very quick and should not involve lengthy senate hearings or testimony.

5.  I don’t know how they will do this because I don’t think congress has the ability to do anything quickly due to the fact they ALL look for face time and political gain in everything they do.

6.  I’m all for keeping people in their homes – IF they can afford a mortgage payment.  This might sound cold, but there is a small percentage of people late on their mortgages who had no business buying a home in the first place.

7.  They should restructure loans with fair interest rates and no closing costs for those that have an income to support a house – they should absorb the bad loans to those that absolutely cannot afford a house and help them move to an apartment or other rental property.

8.  So we can move on and get out of this mess – not to reward their bad decisions in getting the bad loans.

9.  There should be legislation banning predatory loans so this never, ever happens again.

10. I really wish people would not continually try to get something for nothing, others would stop taking advantage of this behavior, with both groups then expecting the taxpayers to foot the bill for their behavior.

11.  There should be a law that says those with no or little income should not be given the opportunity to live WAY beyond their means.

12.  This would include making it illegal to give high interest rate credit cards to people that could not afford to make payments on them on their best day.

13.  Do I like that it comes to this?  Where authorities need to step in to stop lenders and consumers from making bad deals?

14.  No.  I rarely root for more government control over our lives.

15.  But in this case…since we have a situtation where our national debt is doubled over the collective irresponsible behavior of individuals and large lenders….something has to be done to save us from future bailouts and more debt burden for us and future generations.

16.  This will get messy.

17.  But luckily there is little time for posturing by congress.

18.  It’s my guess that Obama will come out with a plan for what he “would have done” after the bailout legislation has been passed.

19.  What do you wanna bet he is conveniently gone for the vote?

20.  If he does not vote, I think that move would be politically motivated so he can spin his opinion either way depending on the reaction of the public.

21.  Sad that I think that, but it is very probable when you consider his past voting record on some hotly contested issues.

22.  I have my DVR set for the debate this Friday.  We shall see what they say then.

I know, it’s hard to believe McCain was right about Fannie and Freddie years before our current crisis.  And sometimes it’s hard to figure out what actually happened when you watch all the various newscasts – network and cable – out there.  So I did some searching.  The actual congressional record is not hard to find.  It’s right here, in fact.  From May 2006.  Following is the critical excerpt from John McCain’s remarks:

The OFHEO report also states that Fannie Mae used its political power to lobby Congress in an effort to interfere with the regulator’s examination of the company’s accounting problems. This report comes some weeks after Freddie Mac paid a record $3.8 million fine in a settlement with the Federal Election Commission and restated lobbying disclosure reports from 2004 to 2005. These are entities that have demonstrated over and over again that they are deeply in need of reform.

For years I have been concerned about the regulatory structure that governs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac–known as Government-sponsored entities or GSEs–and the sheer magnitude of these companies and the role they play in the housing market. OFHEO’s report this week does nothing to ease these concerns. In fact, the report does quite the contrary. OFHEO’s report solidifies my view that the GSEs need to be reformed without delay.

You can follow the link I’ve provided and see for yourself.  I don’t understand how some can say McCain is to blame for this mess when he tried to get things back on track years ago but his efforts were thwarted by a democratic party line vote in committee.

Of course, I don’t understand a lot about what’s going on right now.  But I do understand all taxpayers are paying the price for congress’ inability to get things done under its current leadership.  After all, this happened on their watch and under their supposed oversight.

Sometimes I think voting correctly for senators and congressmen is more important that who sits in the big chair…especially when stuff like this happens.  I’ll be looking closely at all the races on the ballot this time around, that’s for sure.

I mean, other than the fact that Gustav did not cause nearly the damage expected.  Although there IS damage, it seems to be manageable and there appears to be enough government support and management to handle it.

Now….for the good part.  I know many probably did not sit through any or all of Fred Thompson’s speech at the RNC wherein he detailed the many experiences and virtues of and hardships suffered by John McCain.  It was all definitely worth noting and hearing again.  Nobody does it like Fred.  However…my favorite part of the speech follows:

Now our opponents tell you not to worry about their tax increases.

They tell you they are not going to tax your family.

No, they’re just going to tax ”businesses”! So unless you buy something from a ”business”, like groceries or clothes or gasoline … or unless you get a paycheck from a big or a small ”business”, don’t worry … it’s not going to affect you.

They say they are not going to take any water out of your side of the bucket, just the ”other” side of the bucket! That’s their idea of tax reform.

You can read the whole speech printed in the online Financial Times here.  I especially like the bucket analogy….where do people think the money businesses need to pay the higher taxes will come from?  I wish more people would think about that.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I believe in lower taxes which lead to more tax revenue if, spent wisely, can benefit all of us.

Now, Joe Lieberman was no slouch either.

I’m here to support John McCain because country matters more than party.

No truer words were spoken.  Country matters more than party.  More of us should remember that.  You can read Lieberman’s whole speech here.

Sadly, I fear not very many angry people in this country took the time to watch or read either of the speeches tonight.  I, however (having seen or read all the major speeches from the DNC because we can’t truly form an opinion on that which we have not experienced), am glad to see the RNC finally begin to have its half-week in the sun.

Get ready.  The personification of Obama’s rural republicans that “cling to their guns and religion” will speak soon. And she is a bad-ass who knows how to field-dress a moose.  She has stood up against corruption in her OWN party and won and she is NOT afraid to get her hands dirty.

Oh, yeah.  A good night altogether.  But seriously, Fred Thompson is the king of delivery.  Even if you don’t agree with him, his speech is at least worth the few minutes it takes to read it.

Okay, so….keep in mind I had half a bottle of a very fine Argentinian Malbec tonight while watching the proceedings at Saddleback hosted by Ricky. I will paraphrase my impressions with this caveat.

On Abortion (At what point does a human life have rights – or something like that):

Obama: “Well, this is a very difficult issue and of course we want to do everything we can do decrease the number of abortions……..this is a difficult decision….) etc.

McCan: “At conception.”

On a time when they made a decision that went against their party:

Obama: “Well….it was when I worked with John McCain and others on campaign finance reform…I think neither party was happy with this..in fact I had some people whisper to me…’Where are we gonna eat? McDonald’s?’…..” Okay this was funny I have to admit.

McCain” “It was the time when some wanted to move a peace-keeping force into Beirut and I thought there was no way it would end well having a small number of American troops in that region…and it was hard to go against Ronald Reagan for whom I worked and deeply respected and also my party…and I voted against it….and then the Marine barracks was bombed and we lost over 100 brave soles…..”

On evil in the world:

Obma: “Yes there is evil in the world and we must confront it….it’s in all of us..it’s on the streets and it’s in the world….”

McCain: “We must defeat it….I will hunt Usama Bin Laden to the gates of hell and I will get him…..I know how to do it and I will.”

On Supreme Court Justices (which ones would you not have nominated and why):

Obama: Clarence Thomas. Scalia. And Roberts. He said something about how Thomas didn’t have the experience or knowledge necessary to be on the The Supreme Court.

McCain: Ginsburg. Stevens. Souter. Breyer. Because he thinks presidents should choose justices that follow the Consitution and do not legislate from the bench.

On the most gut-wrenching decision they’ve made in their lives:

Obama: The vote against going to war with Iraq.

McCain: The decision to not go home early from the prison in Vietman…first in, first out. That was the code and he stood by it. And…he was glad that when he made that decision he did not know the war would last another three years.

On three people that would pay key roles in advising their administrations:

Obama: Mom, Grandmother, Wife.  Verious senators.  Veaious points of view where his assumptions would be challenged…..etc.

McCain: General Petraeus, The founder of eBAY and one other guy theyr’e saying is an African-American and a civil rights leader (sorry…the buzz will not allow me to remember his name – I’m sure you can find links later).

On Merit Pay for teachers:

Obama: “Yes, I think merit pay is a good idea and we should work with teachers to be sure they agree with the parameters set down and it should not be decided on one test……”

McCain: “Yes to merit pay and we should work hard to find bad teachers another profession……yes to vouchers, yes to choice, yes to competition….everyone gets the opportunity for an education but what kind of education is that if we send them to a failing school?”

On adoptions and whether or not they would commit to a similar program that Bush has done for AIDS that contains emergency measures:

Obama: “Adoption is good…” okay, I confess I didn’t listen to much else about his answer because seriously…his answers were long and hard to understand.

McCain: “I strongly support adoption…my wife brought home a dying infant from Mother Theresa’s orphanage in Bangladesh which we adopted and she is now 17 and we love her dearly (or something like that)…”

Note: Neither one of them would commit to an emergency program that would address the 148 million orphans in the world.

On faith in their lives:

Obama: “……various phrases about Jesus being his savior, etc.”

McCain: “One time in Vietman…a guy came in and loosened my bonds for a few hours, hushing me so as not to warn the others…and another time on Christmas a guard came by while I had a few minutes outside my cell, drew a cross in the sand with his sandal, and for a moment we stood together, just two christians worshiping the lord…then he scrubbed out the cross and moved on…I will never forget that day or what that guard did, and Christianity is in every day of my life….”

On “What IS rich?”

Obama: Basically, he said $250,000.00.

McCain: He said he wants everyone to be rich and promised not to raise taxes on anyone and he does NOT believe in redistribution of wealth and then threw out an arbitrary number of five million, which I’m sure the left will have a field day with. But I did like the idea of no new taxes for anyone.

On what it would take for you decide to take American troops to war:

Um….neither one of them answered this. Except both of them said if American blood was spilled that would be a reason…and McCain talked about the situation in Georgia with experience and context (I know…I’m in the bag for McCain but what can I say? I’m “in the bag” for fighter pilots…hell, I married one).

Conclusions:

While I think Obama was smooth, if anyone bothered to look under the hood on his answers I think they would be as frustrated as I am in that I STILL don’t know what his experience really is or what he would do as president…except that he would go for a hard left and seek to redistribute as much of our nation’s wealth as possible to those who for some reason think they are entitled to the hard earnings of others.

McCain has a very strong moral compass. He is a war-hardened, decisive veteran who has made hard choices for the good of the country – not himself. He has gone against his party on many issues, and is not afraid to speak his mind and tell you who he is.

It has not yet stopped snowing. This is the view from my back door. And it is ridiculous.

Brrrr. I’m totally in a sweat shirt and jeans and getting ready to pour another adult beverage all in the interest of keeping warm!

While Tommy was on his last trip, the kitchen faucet broke. But even a broken faucet does not stop a faucet drinking kitty.

“Crap, the faucet’s broken.”

“Oh, come on. Can’t you at least try?”

“Oh yeah, this works.”

He was pretty wet by the time all was said and done, but I don’t think he really cared.

Now go visit The Friday Ark.

Oops, sorry…with all the whining about being sick I’ve been doing I forgot the lesson my Grandparents taught me when I had a flu bug in my younger years.

Alcohol, people! Alcohol! Didn’t you know it’s the cure-all? Well I forgot for a while but then I remembered. I must have been eight or nine when I learned this very valuable lesson. We were all at rented cottages (me, my family, two other families of aunts and uncles and cousins, and of course my Grandparents). All was well. There were boats. There was a lake. There was swimming. There was water skiing. And then….there was also the stomach flu.

Oh yes, my friends. It went around. There were few who were spared. And I distinctly remember my Grandparents reminding everyone to stop by their cottages for a little blackberry brandy. Because really, who doesn’t want blackberry brandy when they’re less than 10 with the stomach flu? I got my brandy (in a little juice glass with cartoon characters on it). I was in THE CLUB, my friends. I was old enough to drink blackberry brandy!

So tonight I was thinking about what I hadn’t tried to finally kick the last remnants of this cold from hell. And suddenly I realized….I haven’t gotten my drink on in like a week! How can that be? No wine? No rum? No beer? No adult beverages whatsoever?

I hastily called up to my resident bartender (AKA The Boy) and placed my order for a rum and diet Pepsi and popcorn. Two drinks later, I felt OH so much better. The aches and pains…gone. The dizziness….a happy warmness all around. The sinus pressure…gone. The cough…well still there a little but at least my throat didn’t hurt when I coughed!

Alcohol, my friends. Alcohol. The oldest medicine in the world, and still the best. A couple drinks’ll do ya just fine.