fuckin bull shit

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Campaign Finance Reform

If you've read anything I've written or listened to me talk in the past couple of years, you've heard me go on and on and on and on and on about campaign finance reform. It is absolutely the most important piece of legislation that could be passed. Unfortunately, if you've heard me ramble about this issue you've heard me say that this legislation will never happen....at least in my lifetime. I really hope I'm wrong, but I'm not. It's not sexy policy, no one wants to hear about it and no one wants to campaign on it because they're afraid that their contributors (people who don't know you and don't support you) will pull their money and no one ever won an election by speaking out against the people that pay them staggeringly high monetary donations. ugh, don't get me started. Anyway, I read an article today written by a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. Instead of giving you my same bit of drabble, I figure that I'll share someone else's. Take the time to read this, maybe you'll start to understand why this issue angers me so. Now for a blood pressure pill and 30 minutes of silent meditation. I hope you enjoy:

Princeton, New Jersey (CNN) -- In recent weeks, there have been two important stories developing about the 2012 campaign. On the surface, they have nothing to do directly with Herman Cain, Mitt Romney or Michele Bachmann.


The stories revolve around money. American Crossroads, a political action committee founded by Karl Rove, is gearing up so that it can provide campaign funds to Republican candidates across the nation. The organization is determined to repeat its accomplishments in 2010, just on a much grander scale.


On the other side of the aisle, there have been stories about big bundlers who are raising enormous amounts of money for President Obama's re-election campaign. According to the Huffington Post, Anna Wintour, Jeffery Katzenberg, Jon Corzine and Harvey Weinstein are among the 100-plus bundlers who have raised more than $50 million for the president. According to the Washington Post, the financial and banking sectors have given President Obama more money than all the Republican candidates combined. Seems like Wall Street is not that scared of a second term. 


With all the ups and downs of the last decade, one thing has been constant. Private money continues to flood the political system. As a result of the Supreme Court's decision to eliminate the ban on corporate spending, the problem will only get worse.


The vast amount of private money in American politics causes enormous problems for the nation. There are many problems that money makes it more difficult for the government to resolve. The power of private money, and the enormous influence of the interest groups and individual donors who provide it, prevents government from tackling fundamental issues of the day, including issues were there would otherwise be some agreement between the two parties.


For all the talk about reducing the long-term deficit and rationalizing federal spending, the chances of accomplishing this goal are minimal unless the campaign finance system is repaired. Interest groups in Washington fight hard to defend the status quo. 


One of the classic examples of what political scientists called the "iron triangle," - the ironclad alliance between interest groups, government agencies and congressional committees in defense of specific programs - has been the defense budget. Since the Cold War, federal dollars have gone to defense contractors who reap huge profits from the production of certain weapons systems. These companies have become integral to the economy of the communities in which their plants located, and they are protected by the legislators who represent those areas as well as Pentagon officials. Agricultural programs are another case where lobbying makes innovations or reductions in spending difficult. The congressional supercommittee dealing with deficit reduction is spinning it's wheels. Indeed, The Hill reported that members of the deficit reduction committee are receiving sizable amounts of contributions from special interest groups, many of which represent sectors (such as health care) that are opposed to what the panel is attempting to accomplish. Without addressing the political dynamics that have fueled many of today's budgetary problems, it will be difficult for Congress to enact substantial changes, or to make sure that any successful reforms last over time.


A second problem is the power of business interests in Washington. This is a theme that preoccupies both Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street activists. Why did Wall Street receive so much assistance through TARP while homeowners have been allowed to languish? Protesters on the right and left talk about how policies are skewed toward these interests and how average middle-class Americans don't receive the same kind of attentions from the nation's leaders.


Business and financial interests achieve their influence in many ways. But their ability to deliver dollars to the campaign chest of candidates is crucial. Donating funds helps to ensure that these interests have a seat at the table. In 2009, as Ron Suskind recounts in his new book, "The Confidence Men," Democrats learned firsthand as the health care industry successfully pushed the administration to eliminate crucial measures that were intended to control costs and save money to pay for expanded insurance. This story has been repeated in a number of policy sectors.


The final problem that money fuels is gridlock. Everyone hates when Congress doesn't seem to be capable of doing anything. A chronic complaint about Washington is that the parties are so polarized that agreement is not possible. Money is one of the culprits. Political scientists have shown how the money race pushes politicians to seek favor with ideologically oriented interest groups and political action committees, will keep the purse strings open. Campaign money makes help certain that the parties are heard.


Without tackling core issues such as campaign finance reform in 1973, Sen. Hubert Humphrey warned that "it is a cesspool, it is a source of infection for the body politic." One year later Watergate shattered American confidence in the political system. The result was burst of reform that created public finance for presidential campaigns and contribution limits, as well as the Federal Elections Commission. For almost two decades, the system worked relatively well and did produce changes until recently when both parties abandoned it.


Right now there is no scandal comparable to Watergate to move American politicians. With all the attention that we pay to the horse race between Romney, Cain and Perry or the decline in President Obama's approval ratings, the fundamentals receive little attention. The basic ways in which politics works, the underlying sources of political influence and power that will have huge effects on whoever the next president is, are barely an issue. Without reform, the chances that we will see huge shifts in policy to make government more efficient and more effective are slim.

   - lifted from http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/24/opinion/zelizer-money-politics-scandal

joe

This is too good not to share. Joe Scarborough (Republican) wrote an article on politico.com. The article starts, "All the world is a stage and in this year's GOP presidential race, it is a reality soundstage cluttered with clownish characters auditioning for the role of commander in chief." I love that line. I could read that over and over. And it has the luxury of being true. As long as I've been following politics I haven't seen a republican primary as ass backwards as this. It's entertaining....but I'm terrified of what happens next.

I am a 1%er

Just kidding.

There are 1%ers who have joined the Occupy Wall Street protests across the country. In case you've been living on the moon for the past few weeks, I'll get you up to speed. In the third week of September a Canadian group called Adbusters (I know it's a stupid name...but they're Canadian, give them a break) started a protest in the park that is closest to Wall Street in New York City (can't remember the name of the park). Although the protesters were adamant and there were a hand full of arrests, they weren't getting the press coverage they wanted. A couple weeks after the first night of protesting, a NYC cop blasted a group of women protesters with pepper spray. Now the media had a human interest story to talk about so press coverage exploded. The protest grew, got more crazy, then got more organized and has now spread throughout the nation. Protesters occupy the uptowns of dozens of US cites.

First of all I'd like to applaud the leaders of the protests. There have been minimal arrests and trips to hospitals. It also seems to me the largest and most complex single issue protest since Vietnam. The protesters are speaking out against corporate greed and more importantly the influence corporations and lobbyists have over government officials. They are asking for social and economical equality. (I know it sounds a lot like Communism...and maybe it is...but we're Americans and the cold war ended, so get over it.) These people have a good point. I think a lot of people forget exactly how our public officials become elected and how they get re-elected. When you pull the leaver on election day, you are certainly lending your voice to democracy, but you're not doing it voluntarily. You haven't exactly been brain washed, but the candidate with the most money can buy the best political support staff, the most drive time radio ads, the best produced TV commercials, the prettiest pamphlets, etc. The one with the most money can have the most influence.

If you've read my blog before you know that campaign finance reform has come up already. I'm not sure if most of the protesters know it, but this is exactly what they want. Campaign finance reform is an idea that has been around for decades. We saw it coming 36 years ago when congress founded the Federal Election Commission. This is an independent organization that is supposed to police how federal campaign war-chests are filled. Well now the occupiers of the FEC are influenced by money too. Not only that, but there are gaping holes in the litigation regarding the policing of staggering amounts of money.

As of October 2010 foreign investors can donate as much money as they want to a campaign. No regulation. No limit. Yes, foreign investors can influence who your elected official is. Does that sound like democracy to you? President Obama said, "this ruling strikes against our democracy itself." and added "I can't think of anything more devastating to the public interest." Then again, Winston Churchill said, "the best argument against democracy is 5 minutes with the average voter." Would he be a proponent of this unlimited and unmonitored exchange of cash? The people pushing the cash aren't exactly average.

It is unreal to me that we allow this to happen. But then again, we should have seen it coming. It's a double edged sword. Everyone can be tapped. The people with the money will always make the decisions. The protesters are helping us move toward a national debate and opening a discussion that we must have. There needs to be litigation on this. Solid, concrete, unbreakable rules and regulations with genuine disincentive. We simply cannot allow 1% or even 10% or 20% of the people make the decisions for everyone. This idea changes the very definition of who we are. Or have we forgotten already?

I think we're still a generation away from making this happen. We need more 1%ers on the side of the 99%ers and that's not going to happen for a while.

In the mean time, God be with you protesters of the country. Keep the discussion rolling and make us proud. 

have you ever....

have you ever been at a bus stop and thought "oh god I hope that isn't me."

have you ever walked into a place you don't know looking for friends that were supposed to meet you there only to find no one you know?

have you ever considered the thoughts of the American slaves in the the 17th century?

have you ever had a extraordinary conversation with a stranger?

have you ever really listened to the Beatles?

have you ever noticed greatness in someone sitting right next to you?

have you ever thought about what you would do as an elected official? would you make it better? worse?

have you ever noticed the bum in the street? wondered how he got there? why he is still there?

have you ever wondered why Rachel Maddow's neck is soooo long?

have you have taken credit for something that wasn't yours?

have you ever actually figured out how e=mc^2?

have you ever wondered how the government had functioned for so long without the social scrutiny it's under now?

have you ever punched your best friend?

have you ever noticed the way Lindsay Lohan's socks always match her necklace?

have you ever gone to the movies alone?

have you ever noticed that you don't know your local representative?

have you ever really looked at an amoeba?

have you ever thought about the struggle that it took to make this country what it is today? this world?

have you ever read the graffiti on the subway walls?

have you ever considered what the death of Moammar Gadhafi actually has on you? any effect?

have you ever thought that our generation has it better than the next? that the past had it better than us?

have you ever picked up a dollar and thought it might belong to someone else?

have you ever listened to an album so much that it wore out? had to buy a new one?

have you ever read to the Gettysburg Address?

have you ever read the constitution of the United States of America?

have you ever thought about doing something and chickened out at the last minute?

have you ever ridden a motorcycle?

have you ever crashed an ATV?

have you ever stayed up all night just to watch the sun come up? but fall asleep at 5am?

have you ever thrown a rock so far down a crick that you don't hear the splash?

have you ever thought of a dead relative? wonder where they are? guiltily wondering when you'll see them again?

have you ever wondered why Dora is so fricken popular?

have you ever wondered how you have been so blessed?

have you ever thought of those that have trespassed against you? those you have trespassed against?

have you ever done something dumb just to experience something dumb?

have you ever been deceived?

have you ever sat on the beach all day?

have you ever sat on a couch all day pontificating in your head about everything? and nothing?

have you ever listened to the traffic in your mind?

have you ever started something you couldn't stop?

have you ever heard the ghost train?

have you ever loved unconditionally?

have you ever sat next to the dish washer? the washing machine? dryer?

have you ever been cold? hungry? alone?

have you ever quoted a sonnet? a poem? an author?

------to quote mine: "peace and positive vibes."

look for your "have I ever" moment....and let you know about it. 

Human Events

Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States and my personal hero, was approached by a reporter who tricked him into thinking that he wanted a picture with the VPOTUS. Jason Mattera, editor of Human Events.com and author of the book "Obama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brain Washed My Generation." (nope, I didn't make that up) is the reporter in question. I'll give you the history in case you didn't hear how this started. On Wednesday afternoon Biden gave a speech in Philadelphia. In this speech he made a point that if the Republicans do not help the President pass the American Jobs Bill they will be cutting off funding for police and other municipal services. In an effort to make his remarks hit home to the audience he made a reference to murder, burglary and rape increasing if the bill is not passed. His remarks make a point, but they may have been ill-advised. Yes, if municipal spending is cut, it means less police officers, less firefighters and less overall authority and regulation in the community. Would I have brought the word "rape" into the mix? Probably not. Burglary and murder are pretty bad offences in themselves. However, if he had not brought this heinous action into the discussion, we wouldn't be talking about it now and I would have nothing to blog about today. So maybe I should be saying "good job Joe. Keep inserting your foot between your teeth." Anyway, he said it, the speech was over, applause. On his way out of the room he was confronted by press and cameras in the lobby. Around this bank of cameras was this reporter Jason (something....I've already forgotten his name). The reporter asked the VP if he regretted using the word "rape" in his speech. (he didn't have anything to say about the content of the speech, just the one word.) When confronted, Biden did what any homeboy from Scranton does, he poked the dude in the chest with his index finger, gave him the stink-eye and said, "Don't screw around with me." (in the future this will be called "The Biden") There was no way the VP could have answered this question correctly. When a politician is asked, "do you regret....." there's never a right answer and reporters know that. If the politician responds with "yes, I regret that, it was a mindless thing to say and I didn't mean to offend anyone." then the politician is stupid and doesn't realize he's put his foot in his mouth until he's gagging on his sock. If he says, "I don't regret that." hen he is blinded by his own convictions and doesn't have the vision for change. Every radical reporter knows that's the easiest way to back a politician into a corner and get their name to the top of the bloggersphere. Joe Biden and his advisers know that too; so after Joe tried to avoid the question a few times by saying, "Let's get it straight guy. Don't screw around with me. Let's get it straight." he followed with, "Murder will continue to rise; rape will continue to rise; all crime will continue to rise." Good job Joe. A much better way to make your point. When the reporter ran out of insulting and nowhere questions, he followed up with, "Do you think it's appropriate for the Vice President to use language in such a way?" That's when Biden realized that there was no upside to the conversation and his peeps got him away from the reporter and into the VP motorcade (where I'm sure Joe cursed uncontrollably for the entire 3 hour ride back to Washington). I'm sure Joe could have taken this guy. But I'm also sure that he knows the old Mark Twain adage: never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel. So it was probably smart to walk away.

I have respect for Mr. Mattera (oh yeah, that's his last name) not because he's a successful business man and writer, but because he had the balls to blind side Joe Biden in front of about a dozen TV cameras (ok, maybe 5). There are 6 term congressmen who won't stand up to Biden like that. I sure as hell wouldn't. So hats off to you Jason. You've given your publication some much needed publicity and attained an age old story to tell single ladies in the hopes that one of them will show you her boobs. Now get back to dungeons and dragons before your mom calls you up for dinner.

reach out and touch Rick

Holy crap! The seemingly countless and ridiculously redundant republican debates reached a new and unprecedented level. Last night in Las Vegas the debates finally got interesting. All they had to do was combine mixed martial arts and dorky debating tactics and now we've got ourselves a Saturday Night show in Vegas. Romney broke the dreaded unsaid rule in any debate: no touching. When you start touching, this is what happens next:

I'm sure that Mitt Romney was not intentionally attacking Rick Perry because he knows that Rick would kick the crap out of him. Rick would kick the crap out of He-Man if he were so inclined. But the epic hand-on-the-shoulder move that Romney will soon patent was only the first of the finishing moves we will see in the upcoming debates. I can see it now. Herman Cain from the top of the podium "9-9-9 Mother F*ck*r!!! You like black walnut ice cream B*TCH?!?!?!?!" Gingrich flies in with the pencil stab, Michelle Bachmann and Ron Paul threaten the double clothesline and Rick Santorum runs back to the locker room.

As for the winner/loser of this debate I can only tell you this: The only real winners were the mainstream media and Barrack Obama, the only real losers were all of the nationally registered republicans.

So be sure to watch the next republican debate. It's going to be a whooper. 

do you have any more gum?

Have you ever noticed how much gum is on display at every waiting line in every retail store nation wide? It's unreal how big the gum industry is. Where does gum even come from? (yeah, it rhymed, deal with it.) Well I did some research because believe it or not I find this interesting. So, what did we learn from wiki today? We learned that the global economy contributes $19 billion every year to the gum industry. We learned that the top 60% of this fortune is split between 2 companies. And we learned that in the past 3 years the gum industry has shown 7% increase in global sales. (someone should tell the gum chewers of the world that we've been in a recession for the past 3 years.) So what is it about gum that we find so titillating? It's not the smacking in the mouth. it's not the social acceptance. it's not even the taste. could it possibly be because so many people have quit smoking in the past 3 years? are people quitting smoking and taking up gum chewing? Think about it.

iThings

Can't we all just agree that it doesn't need to get better than the iPhone 4S and move on to other things. Have you seen this thing? Do we need an electronic secretary to tell us how many times we've been to Wendy's this week? There are like 4 jobs in the world that warrant a personal assistant...but now the 15 year old drive through guy at McDonald's needs one too. Why do we need this fricken thing? In a struggling economy where every job matters, Apple is deliberately putting secretaries and personal assistants out of work with their so-called "innovative" technology. Boo this company!

There's way too much stuff that can be done on these 4.9 oz bits of heaven. You can literally be stuck anywhere on the planet and not have to worry about much. You could be at the bottom of the Atlantic, the top of Everest, Cleveland OH...it doesn't matter. You're going to know how to survive because your iThing will tell you. You'll have every smiggin of information you would ever need about the habitat of an area, who to talk to or avoid, what plants to eat, sleep under, pee on, how to communicate with the locals, how to root for the Browns (heaven forbid) and if all else fails play Angry Birds until someone comes to rescue you. Knowledge that used to take decades of study to attain can now be found in less than a second on a $400 9cm liquid crystal display screen. It's fascinating what we have created and how it will boost our future existence; how it will enhance man's contribution to this planet. I think we'll all agree that it's more important to be able to watch John Lajoie and LMFAO videos on youtube than it is to study the contents of wikipedia. We don't need to study. We all have fricken iThings to give us all the information that we need. So in our spare time, we have plenty of time to entertain ourselves with butt smelling monkeys and laser pointer chasing cats. It's phenomenal, comical, at the mall, and other things that rhyme as well.



So these things are sweet, everybody has one and we're looking into the future with all the power at our fingertips. What's the down side? For example, I was trying to have a conversation with someone about  a week ago and while she said she was paying attention, I found it difficult to believe because after I said, "I'm stoked about Ben's performance on Sunday. It might not be such a bad season after all." she said, "Lindsay Lohan's in trouble again." I said, "okay, I'm going somewhere else now." My point is this, should we be afraid that these iThings will alienate us from each other? We might completely halt the communication skills that we've worked over 200,000 years to achieve. What then? A new form of communication with no human interaction. It's not out of the question. How often every day do we interact without physical contact? You and I are doing it right now. So in the future are we going to need any human interaction. Probably not...but it's going to be a cold place.....like Russia. What will the bars be like? A bunch of 20 somethings piddling with iDevices trying not to look at each other...texting each other about the physical attributes of the girl sitting 2 stools away instead of talking to her.....you know who you are.

What could possibly be next? I'll tell you now. Steve Jobs is going to resurrect himself and make the iPhone iMplant. With this new-found technology, you'll just think a question like, "Where does Kulifay live?" and the answer will be implanted in your brain with no noise or distractions, "At you're mom's house, bitch."

iThings are everywhere, but please be careful; have at least one conversation with a physical person every day and bathe once a week whether you need it or not. It could get nasty out there....we'll all be 2 decades more knowledgeable and 2,000 centuries less communicable.

negative advertising

I love this time in any political campaign. It's the time where you really start to learn who the candidates really are. How they fight, claw, cry, react. I love it. I've heard political experts that I respect say that negative campaigning is a coward's way to win an election. Maybe. But there are winners and there are losers. Who  really wants to be a loser? It's a double edged sword. If you campaign negatively and win, you're a winner, but a lousy winner. If you do not do any negative campaigning, you're just a loser and no one remembers your name. It's a plague on both our houses. So where do the voters figure in to this negative advertising war? Well the candidates are hoping that we're dumb enough to hear something like "Herman Cain cooks puppies in his pizzas." and believe it and not vote for Herman based on that bizarre announcement. It's sad to say that if this strategy did not work they wouldn't practice it, but obviously it does work; it's the oldest and most secure way to win an election. Make people fear the other guy. The best thing about this negative campaigning is that you can get a feel for how the candidates are going to react when foreign heads of state snipe at us on CNN International. Will they laugh it off? (Mitt) Will they challenge anyone to a street fight? (Herman) Will they invite them over to our hunting lodge? (Rick P.) Will they take a nap? (Ron) Yell at them a lot? (Newt) Or just be the coolest thing that's ever been elected? (Buddy!) For the record Buddy Roemer is still polling at 1%. He's still in it!

So as you continue watching the debates and campaigns of the Republican nomination continually remind yourself that you are the servant of no master. The negative advertisements cannot be trusted. Make up your own mind. But seriously, I've heard that Herman Cain cooks puppies in his pizzas, that's why they're so tasty.

happy Thursday everyone!

thank you for smoking

Well I haven't had a cigarette during the day in 6 weeks. I smoke every now and then if I have a beer or two. But no smoking at work in 6 weeks! Pretty sweet!!! It's been a struggle. Jackie still likes to have a cigarette with a glass of wine at the end of the day. So we've had smokes in the house and that hasn't been easy. every time I look at the little basket in the kitchen where our little buddy's live I think, "I'll just sneak outside real quick. No one will even notice." But I don't do it. I've also stopped chewing the nicotine gum. As it turns out, the gum is just as expensive as smoking 2 packs a week. Of course the gum doesn't kill you as quickly.

So all is well so far. No telling what tomorrow will bring.... especially if I have to watch a Republican debate again.....more on that later.

Happy Zombie Day!!!

That's right folks. There really is a National Zombie Day. I'm sorry to say that I know a little more about this day than I want to. The only reason I know about this at all is because it was started a few years ago by a guy that hosts a weird show on a local tv station in Pittsburgh. I don't remember what the dude's name is and I can think of about 16 million things i'd rather do...so i'm not going to look it up. Go find it yourself if you're interested...and I hope you're not.

In other Zombie news - The Wall Street protesters have spread to a dozen or so cities in the US. These protests are getting much deserved political attention, the protesters carry signs of conviction and shout their righteous message through the streets like Christina Aguilera at the Grammys. HA. Just kidding. These are some mild mannered wimps that are just kind of standing around on the sidewalk.....like zombies. a fitting sight for the day. They are expecting over 100 protesters today in Charlotte. The plan is to gather at the City Hall Building and "march" to Bank of America's corporate headquarters (2 blocks away) like the Thriller video minus the "thrill" and leaving behind arms and legs, pride and hope. I can't blame these people for wanting to protest. life really isn't fair and I wish that protesting would make a difference...but they should know better. No one cares. That's why huge corporations hire huge law firms, huge public relation firms. When a BoA corporate executive gets laid off they usually get like a $500K to $20 million severance. They're not starving (thanks Chris Rock), not going to have to file for unemployment, food stamps, medicare...etc. (They might have to fire their chauffeur who would have to file for unemployment...and join the protest....the irony's abound.) So life is sucking pretty bad for the middle and lower class in this country. What better way to show our displeasure than to march on Bank of American's corporate home? They're going to see the 100 people in the street and say, "oh gosh, what do we do now? There's like 100 people downstairs! I'm going to my room."

I truly believe that we will push our way out of this mess as soon as Kulifay runs for public office. He will show us strength and compassion and health in humanity. He will return America to the top of the world economy and make this the greatest nation in the history of mankind. And if you don't believe me, vote for him and see for yourself. Time to shine buddy. Let's see that big brain go to work.

Anyway, thanks to the protesters who aren't doing anything except giving me something to blog about. And thanks to any of my readers for switching to my new blog site. Hope you like the semi-new look. And Happy Zombie Day!!!

Lost in Transition

Ok. so I left my last blog title and advanced to something that has nothing to do with Kulifay. Sorry Fay, it's not you, it's me. I'm sure I'll still mention you from time to time and possibly drive by your blog and think about knocking on the door, but wimping out before I stop the car, or maybe call blog and hang up before your blog has the chance to say "who is this? I"m calling the police!"

Ok. All that being said, I will break right into some political banter. I have to get a few things off my chest: Obama has been traveling around the country selling the "pass this bill" idea to the 25 Americans that still support him. His approval rating on average over the past 2 weeks is at 41% (according to Gallup). That means that 59% of Americans do not support the president. Remember when the Presidency was filled with bad-asses who couldn't give a crap about polling numbers? I admire this President for heading out into the country and selling a bill that he says will put the country back to work. I also think he's a fool for thinking that making speeches about the Jobs Bill to crowds of people who already agree with him is going to make a difference. On the other side of the isle, the republicans have been busy. They have all but killed the Jobs Bill. It's awesome when they can meet half way. They're convincing Americans that the Jobs Bill will not put Americans back to work and President Obama has no idea what will stimulate the economy, is a poor leader and needs to be ejected from the White House. So who's right? Will the Jobs Bill create jobs, or will it be a waste of time? Here's the sad part: we're not going to know until it gets passed. If it doesn't get passed, we'll never know...and that's what the republicans are hoping for.  The White House is whimpering back to their corner and the House Republicans are doing their "OH YEAH BROTHER! WE WON AGAIN." (say that like Macho Man Randy Savage...it's way funnier that way.) Rumor is that the supercommittee will begin working on something similar to the Jobs Bill, but it will not have the same specifics...more to come on that later.

You may have noticed that I have disdain for both parties of the American political ring. I don't consider myself a member of any political party because I think they're all full of crap. I can't wait to see how the presidency will change in 2012/2013. Will the country have more jobs? Less jobs? more unemployed? more homeless? a Jobs Bill? maybe an American Infrastructure Bill? or will this entire argument get lost in transition?