Mid Term Elections

Let me preface this article by saying that it is a bit dated. The mid term elections in the US are over and the Democrats have gained control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Let me also say that whatever I quote in this article comes from Mr. Thomas Sowell, a respected writer, a Republican, and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University in Stanford, California.

Having said all that, I hope this meets with 'blondie's' stringent rules of giving credit where credit is due. I have no problem with that if I know where an article came from, but when it is sent anonymously, sorry, I don't know who to give the credit to. My more intelligent readers won't need me to put in quotation marks. They will be able to discern where they go all by themselves. My more intelligent readers will also stick to the subject at hand instead of nit- picking that which has nothing to do with the article. My more intelligent readers will also realize that many articles are written in the heat of the moment and terms such as 'idiotic', 'moronic', 'pointy-headed', 'twits' and 'imbecilic' are meant to get a point across, not a slanderous swipe at anyone's beliefs. It seems my more intelligent readers didn't get an education through Affirmative Action, but were schooled in such basics as spelling, grammar and reading comprehension. Some of them went on to get real jobs like engineering, manufacturing or serving the community, instead of dwelling on the liberal arts that bring so little to the table, create so few jobs and has made 'Starving Artist' a mainstay in our everyday language.

Mr. Sowell points out that there are a couple of people being considered for the Presidency of the USA based on their looks. Mr. Sowell, for those of you who don't know is a black man and he is talking about Senator Barak Obama, another black man who has been in the Senate for a few short years. Mr. Sowell points out that while Mr. Obama is a bright, personable and articulate young man, he is hardly fit to be running for the top office. Giving Mr. Obama his due, perhaps a decade or two in the Senate will give him the experience he will need if he ever achieves that lofty office.

Turning to Congressman Harold Ford, Mr. Sowell writes, "His election could turn the Senate over to extremists like Ted Kennedy & Co." I don't know Mr. Ford or whether or not this is a true statement, but I know enough about Teddy and his crew to wonder that, if his ilk are in charge of the Senate, how bad will our cold be when the American elephant sneezes?

Mr. Sowell saves the best for last. Speaking of Nancy Pelosi, he points out that she would be second in line to the presidency should anything befall the vice-president.

Apparently, Ms Pelosi voted against tightening borders against illegal immigration. Does the US have a problem with Mexicans heading for California, looking for the promised land? Not according to her, I guess. Does the US have a problem with terrorists crossing the border from Canada, armed with car trunks full of guns and other explosives, headed for major airports? Not according to her, I guess.

When it comes to taxes, Ms Pelosi trots out the Democratic chestnut of 'tax cuts for the wealthiest few causes red ink as far as the eye can see.' This is blatant nonsense. As far back as the Kennedy administration it has been proven that cuts in tax rates have been followed by increases in tax revenue. The red ink that we see, here in Canada and in the US, is the result of spending gone wild. Throw some money at a problem, raise taxes to cover the deficit, and the problem just goes away. Hardly. In Canada we are taxed at a minimum of 30% of our paycheck. Then after that, we are subjected to another 14% of our after taxed dollars to buy what we want or need. Tax on tampons, diapers or gasoline ? Give me a break! (The feds already have a 10% excise tax on gas, then after the provincial tax is added they tax the whole thing all over again. Go ahead, tell me you don't need gas to get to work to pay the exorbitant taxes.) When it came to a vote to cut federal spending on welfare, Ms Pelosi voted against it. I guess her thinking was that if she tossed more money to he recipients they would just go away. I don't think so. If I have a meal ticket, I'll milk it for all it's worth.

Moving on to the war on terrorism, Ms Pelosi is against having international calls to and from terrorists monitored by intelligence agencies. Say what? If Abdul in Iraq says to Ahmed in Cleveland, "Destroy the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame tomorrow." you can bet your ass I want to know about it. Things have changed since 9/11 and the sooner the Dems can get their head around that little factoid, the better off we'll all be. It really causes us some discomfort when we can't take our $3.00 a bottle of water on to the airplane, but would you really rather die not thirsty or not die at all?

Ms Pelosi is two steps away from holding the highest office in the country. Do you really want a wing-nut like her to have her finger on the button? In the case of Democrats, that button would release pamphlets saying, "Let's talk it over." In the case of Republicans, that button would release pamphlets saying, "Okay, you attacked us. Now, let's see what you're made of."