OH, THE KID

The sportsworld is saddened by the passing of hall of fame catcher Gary Carter. He was apower hitting, clutch hitting, team leading player who was the best at hisposition defensively for his era. As a player on the 1986 Mets, he wasinstrumental in making them world champions. During that time he became knownfor his love for the fans, the audience, the photags, and thus was dubbed “Camera”by his fellow players. But speaking of nicknames, his signature one in factwhich fit him so well was “Kid” Carter. It’s been said about baseball, you’vegot to have a lot of little boy in you to play that game. Well Gary Carter the “Kid”indeed had a lot of little boy in him, a lot of game, and he will be missed.

Common Cents

Right now it costs over $.02 to make every penny and over $.11 cents to make every nickel. The Obama administration has requested a change in metal being used so that common sense will make common cents!!!!!

1%, 2%, Taking Stock On The Great Warren

Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha (one of the many complimentary names he’s called), has said the stock market is the place to be, stay with equities and bonds are a bad investment. What is heartening is that Europe, which is just 2% of our exports, as they go up and down is actually not tail wagging (at least for the moment) our Dow Jones dog. Stay tuned if the market does the fall but for now it appears like there’s a lot to be said for not listening to the 2% on equity investing, let alone the 1% on tax policy.!!!!!

Plagiarizing in Advance Again

www.CapitolShleps.com with contributions from the band Ironix have emphasized Mitt Romney’s bending, twisting, working the crowds to the tune of of Joanie Mitchell’s Both Sides Now. David Brooks babbles not when his article “The Crowd Pleaser,” about Romney bending to every crowd, says exactly the same thing. We owe the erudite Mr. Brooks an apology as far as plagiarizing in advance. This trend of ours pops up from time to time. We’re not sure quite how to cure it. Again we hope Mr. Brooks will understand and keep on keeping on.!!!!!

Happy Nays Are Here Again

Republicans should be happy but they’re saying nay. The patriotic party which loves this country should revel in the fact that we’ve had the best jobs report in the last 3 years, and the best stock market for their rich base in the last 4 years. But they don’t seem to be. They’re smiling to themselves but they’re publically complaining because that can’t admit Barack Obama can do anything right even if he said that Monday followed Sunday. The happy nays are here again.!!!!!

Republican Turn Out – Taking The Low Road

People are commenting on the “scorched earth” campaign Newt Gingrich has taken against Mitt Romney, which he certainly did against Newt in turning FL around. Just as bit by bit Mitt explains Mitt, what explains why all the Republican primaries and caucuses have a lower turn out than in ‘08? Was it the great energy of John McCain, or the intellect of Sarah Palin? Were the disinterests of this party and their candidates and the reluctance of, let’s say it, the support of a Mormon? We don’t know but the fact that all these major primaries both in FL and (we understand) in South Carolina and definitely in Nevada had much, much lower turnouts than last time around. At least participation-wise the Republicans are taking the low road.!!!!!

Trumping Reason - Bit By Bit Defining Mitt

Donald Trump has made the endorsement people expected not of whom they expected, namely he went with Mitt Romney instead of Newt Gingrich. Interesting gift he’s given since three times as many people in national polls say they are less likely to vote for a candidate that Trump recommends than they are likely to vote for Trumps recommendation. Trumping common sense, but how does Mitt Romney pay the Donald back? Maybe Donald wants a share of Mitts real hair?!!!!!

SUPER, SUPER BOWL

The nation and much of the world was treated last night to a super Super Bowl, especially from the view of the Giants fans (disclaimer; that includes me). That said, we saw two very contreversial plays; 1. Why you should not always score a touchdown (at least not just yet) and 2. Why an obvious penalty turns into a real benefit. First the touchdown; Ahmad Bradshaw thought about it, stumbled and then fell backwards into the end zone, giving the Giants a 21-17 lead, but allowing the magnificent Tom Brady almost a minute to work with to come back and score. The Giants could have and probably should have run more time off the clock. Second, an obvious penalty against the Giants hurt the Patriots due to a flawed rule. With 17 seconds to go, the Giants defense had 12 men on the field (accidentally on purpose?), and thus was able to double cover every deep receiver. The cost to the Giants was only 5 yards. The cost to the Patriots was eight irreplaceable seconds of the remaining 17 in the game, helping prevent their potential comeback from happening. Watch for the NFL to make part of the penalty replacing lost time on the clock in such situations. But so it ended, the Giants are the champions in a very Super, Super Bowl!!!!!!

TRADITION TRADITION TRADITION

When Mr. Romney runs against Mr. Obama in the presidential race this fall, they can each claim having introduced a certain tradition to the Jewish folks. In the case of Mr. Obama he began the custom of Passover Seders in the White House. In the case of then Governor Romney, as reported today by the NY Post, he had the idea of saving money on kosher meals while letting residents of a Jewish home for the elderly eat pork. Mr. Romney’s idea was “vetoed,” but hey, the thought was there. Tradition, tradition, tradition.!!!!!

To Would Be Terrorists (the Navy Seal Of Approval) Yet Again

Just before our President gave his State of the Union Address we found that a bunch of Somali pirates holding hostages, one American and one from Denmark, once again were treated to the Obama terrorist/dictator retirement plan. That’s ‘cause our head of state gets them shot in the head. Like the first Somali pirates who commandeered that ship, like Bin Laden, like Mr. Gadhafi, like the other 21 members of Al Quaeda since Mr. Obama became President, and probably an Iranian scientist or two, or five. They have basically been dealt with in the same manner. The manner in which they deserve. But I think these people, whether it’s the Iranians advertising for other scientists or the surmise of future pirates could kind of take this lemon and make it lemonade and say as follows: “We pay you more now because when this guy in the White House talks about people retiring, he obviously doesnt mean you. So there's no need for a 401K.”!!!!!

BAIN WAS THE BANE OF MY EXISTENCE

From the Diary of Mitt Romney Bain was the bane of my existence, and now as I’ve dealt with that suddenly they’re all up in arms over my tax returns. I’m going to give them one full year, not a partial year, a full year, which is within 11 of what my Dad gave. He was wrong…you don’t give people information – they won’t think the worst. I don’t know if I’m rich? They tell me I made over $40 mill in 2010. Is that technically rich? I paid almost 15% taxes and the great news is under the plans of Newt Gingrich in which there’d be zero capital gains, I’d pay no taxes. Should I vote for Newt?? I love this old Beatle’s stuff. See how cool I am. Mitt fades off in the background – drifts asleep Let me tell how it will be More for you, 15 for me It’s my tax scam, ya ya it’s my tax scam Should 15 appear to small Be thankful that I pay at all Cause it’s my tax scam ya-ya, it’s my tax scam !!!!!

Romney & Gingrich: The Draft Dodgers That Want to Send Your Kids to War

When it came time for Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich to serve in the armed forces during the Vietnam War in the 1960s, both Presidential candidate weaseled out of their duty to “serve their country”. Now they espouse hawkish rhetoric, vehemently back the occupation of Afghanistan, think it was a mistake to pull combat troops out of Iraq (a result of a Bush-era agreement with Iraq),and more recently have touted the need to invade Iran. Just as it’s easy to spend money that isn’t yours, it’s just as easy to send kids to war that aren’t your own. That’s the crux of what Mitt Romney and Gingrich have advocated and what they intend to do if either of them are elected to the highest office in the nation. Living in a palace in France during a mission for the Mormon church, Mitt Romney didn’t get to witness the horrors of the Vietnam War, where over fifty-thousand Americans died. Romney received a deferment in order to further spread his religion in France for two and a half years. While American troops were fighting the Viet Cong in jungles deep inside of Vietnam, Mitt Romney was quoting verses of the Book of Mormon and improving his French. The Parisian mansion Mitt Romney was living in also had a chef and a houseboy. According to the Deseret News, in 1966, before Romney headed off to France under a church obtained draft deferral, he was a part of a counter-protest at Stanford University against a group that was staging a sit-in in opposition to draft status tests. It seems like Romney’s flipflopping career began even before his political career did. Gingrich, on the other hand, received one of his many deferments on the basis of starting a new family with his wife and kids. These are the same kids and cancer stricken wife, who he left just a few years later. While he wholeheartedly believed in sending young Americans to their graves in Vietnam, he cowered away from military service stating in 1985 to the Wall Street Journal, “Part of the question I had to ask myself was what difference I would have made.” Newt believed that one individual, particularly himself, going to Vietnam wouldn’t have made a difference. Robert Scheer over at the LA Times put it eloquently, The media have basically accepted him on his own terms as a righteous champion of family values determined to do battle with the “counterculture” and big government in Washington. Yet here is a professional politician who walked out on his own family with two young children at a time when his wife had cancer. Those kids were the basis of this super-patriot’s draft deferment during the Vietnam War. Now, there’s something to be said about military service: It isn’t for everyone and there are many, many legitimate reasons for not joining the Army. The issue with Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich is one of hypocrisy; the notion that they did everything they could to escape the draft into a war while at the same time verbally backing that war and now backing more interventionist wars abroad.They don’t seem to have a problem with bloodshed so long as it isn’t their own blood. This isn’t only true of Romney and Gingrich; it’s true of most neoconservative warhawks like Bill Kristol and Richard Perle whose jingoist rhetoric has resulted in thousands of dead American soldiers and thousands of families missing a son, daughter, father, or mother. The one other frontrunner in the Republican race for President definitely deserves a mention. That’s Ron Paul–the doctor that served in the US Air Force as a flight surgeon during the Vietnam War, who also has the most support from active duty troops. Isn’t it striking how the only Republican frontrunner who actually served in the US military is the one diametrically opposed to the neoconservative agenda of spreading our troops around the globe and endangering us at home?!!!!!

Ho, Ho That’s Rich

Such your phrase on bygone days in the world of comedy was sort of a highly patronizing acknowledgement of someone’s attempt at humor. Obviously that’s rich with humor was the implication. But what’s even richer with humor is when candidate Mitt Romney; sorry, forgot to use his RealFauxNews name of Flitt Romney; maintains that he’s not sure if he’s rich. He’s also yet to release his tax returns. He says if it’s customary he would do it, now he’s talking about April? Why not now before the SC primaries? Because it’s going to show that a man worth almost a quarter of a billion dollars might actually be rich. But the humor, he doesn’t know that that description applies to him…well, that’s taxing.!!!!!

TAXING COMMON SENSE

Mitt Romney’s tax plans would have cuts for every income group, but not all of every income group. If you make: --Less than $10,000 the cut would be .3% and percentage of people who get a cut would be 13 --$10,000-$20,0000 of those who get a cut (and it would be less that 1%) the cut would be 44.2%, --$20,000-$30,000 would get a cut of 2.3% going on up to, --If you make $200,000-$500,000 99.9% of you will get a cut of an average 6.9%, and if you make --More than $1,000,000 well 100% will get a cut and it will average 14.5%, --And the average person making more than a million will get a tax change of $290,000 to the good…or to the bad if you believe America is an upwardly mobile society. And that tax is common sense? !!!!!

CURB YOUR EXUBERANCE

Word to the following political personas: Pres. Obama Mr. Romney Mr. Gingrich Curb your exuberance. For Mr. Obama, when you were sure or hoped that the unemployment rate would drop much faster than it did, rather than being a little more measured conserving your expectation about it going to the 8% and 7%, which it may well do, but your comment was ahead of schedule, and that embarrassed you. Mr. Romney who was convinced he was about to sweep all 3 primaries only to find out Iowa got switched around and in SC he got turned upside down, it was obvious that he had too much exuberance. When early polls showed Newt Gingrich had Iowa he was giving “Ayes to the Newt” and said it was obvious he would be the nominee. He got waxed in Iowa, beaten soundly in NH, and suddenly aided by Mr. Romney’s inept debate performance and explanation of his personal finances, there again were Ayes for the Newt. But everyone should remember to keep expectations calm. Curb your exuberance. Don’t spike the ball on the 10 yard line, or in the case of some of these guys, the 20 or the 30; score first. !!!!!