Sunday, October 29, 2006

How would the DOW react to the election...

I think the election will be a mixed bag and I think that will be a good thing. Of course, the DOW is at an all time high and naturally can look for a slowdown next year. I just think that the DJI hates insecurity and radical moves. It is not likely any radical moves will happen, with the exception that Bush's tax cuts won't become permanent. That might cause a ding in the DOW, however in reality those rich people may not even miss the extra money they pay! Hopefully, any tax cuts for the middle class (if there were any), will be made permanent. The middle class is being squeezed and every extra dollar is one they can invest.

The Obama bandwagon....

Yes, I like the guy! But he needs more experience. I sure liked the tone he set at the 2004 Democratic convention, for sure! He had a unifying message. An upbeat part of a dismal election season. It at least gives us hope that an African American can be so desirable as a presidential hopeful. Now we are having an ugly election season, so hearing about Obama gives us a positive message: regardless of whether he runs or wins!

Election Predictions...

It will be much closer than expected. With mixed results. None of us will get exactly what we want. Both sides will claim victory. The Republicans will retain control of at least one branch of Congress, and the other, if it happens at all, will narrowly be won by Democrats.

Ritter will probably win as governor of Colorado, but that will also be a much narrower victory than the polls indicate. Amendment 43, the marriage amendment, will pass and Referendum I, the domestic partnership amendment, will be too close to call at this point. Passage of that depends on exactly how good the last minute turnout is for those supporting it. A large Republican turnout will probably mean it is doomed. Odonnell and Perlmutter in the 7th CD is just too close to call. John Salazar will be re-elected handily to his district. Sadly, the pot initiative will fail.

Undoubtedly, these predictions will not be 100%. I would never bet money on politics. I'm prepared to be disappointed and even if my votes are on the winning side (as I've already voted), I still will not be certain of the future. There is nobody I really like that well on the ballots.

As I've stated before, I look for more balance in the Congress. Then we will have the bickering and partisanship to contend with. However, we did see what happened when Bush got his "mandate"... the "do nothing Congress was formed! It is certainly likely that Democrats will pick up seats. Bush will still be President and we could still have more ineffectiveness. Hank to the politicians: knock it off! Work on issues that affect everybody like health care, immigration and the war in Iraq. Since Bush won't run any more (thank god!), he will have an opportunity to move away from his hard core base and move to the center. I'd like to think that he is a decent man that has just been steered in the wrong direction by his base and those in his cabinet. It is time to move to the center and get some things done for your legacy, Mr. President!

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Chaput: Examine abortion stances

Oh stop! Yes, this is an issue, but NOT the top issue. I'm sure he wants you to vote for Beauprez, as he is totally "pro-life". And once again this would imply that Ritter is anti-life, which is a distortion of his views.

I'm glad nobody affiliated with the Catholic Church has ever called my home; it would be a dire mistake and they would get an earfull!

Monday, October 23, 2006

Favorable indicators?

The dow just keeps rising, the cost of gas is way down... Well, except for the war in Iraq and the problems with North Korea and Iran, it is going o.k.. I have the feeling that even if the Republicans keep control of the Congress, we will take a new course in Iraq. Too many Republicans are talking about doing things differently.

Long term, Congress and the President are NOT setting good policy! Nothing was done to fix problems of social security, healthcare and other nagging problems. This is the fault of both parties - fighting and refusing to cooperate. And Bush has not set the tone for bipartisanship!

The lack of long-term strategy is disheartening.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

This is a quote from Bush...

George H.W. Bush, that is:

"Trying to eliminate Saddam would have incurred incalculable human and political costs. Apprehending him was probably impossible. We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect, rule Iraq. There was no viable exit strategy we could see, violating another of our principles. Furthermore, we had been self-consciously trying to set a pattern for handling aggression in the post-Cold War world. Going in and occupying Iraq, thus unilaterally exceeding the United Nations mandate, would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression that we hoped to establish. Had we gone the invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land."

Que Cera, Cera...

Whatever shall be, shall be! I have the feeling that Amendment 43 , the marriage amendment will pass and Ref. I will fail. Remember when Colorado passed Amendment 2, yet voted for Clinton?

Guess what? Life goes on! I'll vote no on 43 and yes on I. Then I can say: YOU voted for it, not I! Life will go on, regardless. Yes it says that society is against the empowerment of gay people. So what? Married heterosexual people will go home to their spouses and find that nothing has changed. Gay people will be downtrodden for a while, and then realize that nothing has changed.

It shall be a long struggle to advance things further. I encourage people to Focus on THEIR family, be it traditional or different. In the end, it is the love and commitment that defines any relationship and NOT the stinkin' government!

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Do they want war???

Sometimes, I think the "Greatist Generation" wants to relive WWII. For the life of me, I can't figure out why, but they do... I think they want to relive the glory days. I know for all the glory they got there was a lot of trauma: I knew of several alchoholics among my parents friends. That would include my uncle Whitey, who did stop drinking, but also had some things happen in Europe that he just could not talk about...

Yes, I appreciate what was done to defeat Hitler and rehabilitate Germany and Japan. But we have to realize that not every conflict is resolved in that manner. It will be a long and bloody battle to try and kill all the terrorists in the world. Look at the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. Need I say more???

Kill the hard core terrorists? You bet! Reach out to people and find out the root causes and gain more understanding? Absolutely. It will shorten this war!

Friday, October 20, 2006

Both ways Bob and Beauprezgate...

Now the person who divulged the private information is a "whistle blower" and Beauprez does not want to politicize the investigation of that person. Sure, Bob!

This whole thing is disappointing, no matter who wins! I've never seen a nastier campaign season, but since both of these guys are being equally nasty, I'll take Ritter. Yes, I suppose I should look at BWB's voting record, but I suspect him to be right of Owens: NO GO!

I hear about those who worry that all three (three?) branches of Colorado government will be Democratic and there will be no checks and balances. Yet, I've lived in other progressive states and the quality of life has been good. No, I don't want to see all Republicans gone. But on any given election, the legislature could change hands. If you want a truly conservative state, move to Nebraska! I won't slam it too hard for being last in economic growth; I don't think the states conservatives had much to do with that. Yet Colorado is a growing state (unlike Nebraska), with highly educated people and much diversity. Iowa (the farm state east of Nebraska) is a politically mixed state and has an excellent growth rate as opposed to Nebraska...

Further, I would like to see Denver and the urbanized parts of the Front Range control Colorado. Yes, Colorado Springs, the West Slope and plains farmers deserve a voice. But they should not control us here in Denver. This political shift is a result of more urbanization and our becoming more Hispanic. I still think more Hispanics vote Democratic than Republican: witness Colorado and New Mexico. Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas are mostly Caucasian, though they are changing, too.

Editor's note: I hate the term Hispanic and if someone like Mani is of pure Mexican descent, I call them a Mexican. But not all of Colorado's Hispanics are Mexicans...

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Jesus seen in unusual act of forgiveness....

Letter in October 18 Rocky Mountain News:

I saw Jesus last week.

No, not in the "religious warrior" teachings of Jesus Camp, not in the ever flowing "declared voice of God" condemnations from Pat Robertson, or in the "wrath of God retribution" being launched against Rep. Mark Foley and not in the vehement adherence to an "eye for an eye" policy on torture justified for the perceived safety of Americans.

No, I saw Jesus last week in the humble words of a grandfather putting his young beloved granddaughter into the ground while instructing the young men in his community to forgive.

This grandfather remembered the words of Jesus when he said, "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6:35-36)

I do not see him often in this society but I saw Jesus last week. He was standing next to an Amish grandfather.

by
Vonda Knox Arvada

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

I'm trying to be a Colorado Blogger

I don't know if this is working, but I'm trying to join a webring for blogs... Unless there is some feedback, I can't know how I'm doing at this. I appreciated the last comment, but I don't know how the person got to my blog. I think through blogger.com... I would like to see my blog listed with the other bloggers listed on denverpost.com, but this will take some doing for sure!

Colorado Blogs

SAVE THE INTERNET!!!


Save the Net Now

Focus quiet???

The inquisitive Zim visits Focus on the Family website... They don't have Amendment 43 or Ref I prominently displayed on their website. There was one small link for homosexuality. But nothing too political... Maybe they have to watch what they display on the website to avoid looking like a political organization for tax purposes. The only thing I saw was something on their website about gay chamber's of commerce: how they were trying to desensitize the public to an immoral lifestyle.

Well, that's all fine, but we shouldn't take for granted that they are just staying out of the 2006 "marriage" and "domestic partner" election. John McCain talks about how he admires their dedication and if the rest of us don't like it, we should get out and vote!

To me, F.O.F. has effectively killed my brother. Oh yeah, he's still alive, but unavailable to me. So, yes, I will get out and vote and encourage others who are like-minded to do so!!! I certainly don't expect them to sit on their laurels and neither shall I. They are a formidable foe!

Monday, October 16, 2006

Kerry says he deserves another chance in 08

Oh no... Bring out the Swift Boat Vets! I'm kind of looking for some new blood. One thing we have to take into consideration is the amount of years the U.S. forces were over in Vietnam when John testified before congress. You can bet if we are embroiled in Iraq that long, there will be vets testifying before that congress. There are already some Iraq vets running for office - most of them as Democrats, which might tell you something.

Toan would definitely not vote for Kerry as the Viets felt that he sold them out, but then again, I don't believe they like McCain either as he has met with the commie leaders there. Sorry, but Vietnam doesn't top my list of priorities in voting criteria! I am glad we have diplomatic relations with them and I wish we had them with Cuba and Iran...

Sunday, October 15, 2006

The final push...

I was going to title this post: "Ritter's evaporating lead", but there has not been enough time to digest the illegal alien plea bargaining disclosure. To further complicate the situation, Ritter's campaign is alleging someone broke the law by accessing a federal database (or something to that effect). Oye!

Truth be told, yes, I wish Ritter was more like that sheriff in Maricopa county. But as DA, I'm sure the resources are limited and there are a lot of things to consider in perusing a conviction.This is bound to be a negative for Ritter, unless these charges of law-breaking stick on the Beauprez campaign. I don't think there is time for that.

My estimate is the two candidates will have a much closer race than was expected.I can NOT, in good conscience, vote a one-issue election. There are to many issues I disagree with Beauprez on to focus on this one item, which I consider a negative for Ritter. Further, we need to see the laws changed, so that Federal, State and local authorities all are in sync. At that point, the D.A. of Denver will have no excuses!

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Panel: Curb violence by teaching morality

In schools: what kind of morality??? And then I thought these recent shootings were done by outside adults... How would teaching the kids morality stop that??? I don't have any problem with them teaching the "golden rule", but I'm not sure what other morals should be taught in a school. If you want religion, go to a religious school!

I'm sure the morality thing does not apply to the Amish school. I think they are teaching excellent morals there. Their values are very clearly showing when they forgave the shooter and attended his funeral - a very difficult thing to do!

For kids, I think their morals usually are passed down from the parents...

Monday, October 09, 2006

The Schitzo Zim???

It occurs to me that readers may view me as inconsistant sometimes. If you are one that will fit the mold of any particular lable, then fine. When they made ME, they broke the mold... As this has turned out to be a political blog, good luck in catagorizing me!~

S. Korean nominated as U.N. chief

Perfect! And it looks like he is headed to be the next leader. This could not come at a better time. With the N. Korea test completed (I saw a seismo picture of the shock wave), the message sent is that S. Korea is a valuable member of the world community. Don't mess with 'em!

Sunday, October 08, 2006

The end of a revolution?

The Time article highlights malaise and decline of the G.O.P.. My take is that these reports may be highly exagerated! Yes, it is troublesome that the Speaker may have tried to hide Rep. Foley's growing scandal. But I wouldn't be as happy to see him go as I was Tom Delay. Denny Hastert seems to be a fairly nice guy. Still, since society is down on child predators (if this is indeed how we can define Mr. Foley), this isn't something you can sweep under the rug... Embarassing or not!!!

The picture of the backside of an elephant going out the door may or may not reflect what will happen in November. Then again, if Democrats rule, could we expect much to get done? Maybe they will be majority in one branch of congress and Republicans will rule the other?

Bill Clinton proved he could work with a Congress ruled by the other party. I don't know how well Bush will work with Congress in the next two years. We need them all to roll up their sleeves and get to work, regardless of their affiliation.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

That's IT!

I've had it! The NUT in Bailey, the NUT in PA, the NUT in Congress, the NUT in Iran... Too many kooks to count. Enough with the news! I need a couple of days away from the news in Nebraska.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Deportations avoided via DA's plea deals

Oh crap! I don't like the sound of this! Then again, I'd like to know the context with respect to the total number of cases, that these plea deals occurred. Supposedly they let the Feds know about the ones who were here illegally. Hmmm.....

O.k., he's definitely not perfect, but I'll still stay in the Ritter camp. If this brings him down, I hope some of the other tight races aren't affected. Each candidate should be evaluated on their own merits.

As for the past, well local officials and the Feds did not work in unison. In the future, I hope that the ones who were discovered to be illegal will be held and then transferred to the immigration holding facility awaiting deportation! Legal residents, who commit deportable offences should be subject to deportation hearings!





Can the Democrats retake congress?

Anything short of that will be heralded as a victory by Republicans. Victory *in my mind* will be more balance in the Congress - no matter who controls it! Then, the problem will be to get the bickering politicians to actually DO something.
I believe the Republicans have no excuse. I'd be all for dominance of one party IF that party accomplished things I considered important: they have NOT! These are the areas of note:

1. Iraq - it is still not LOST, but not going well. Afghanistan has not had nearly the investment needed to stabilize that country.

2. Immigration - yes, I'll agree that BOTH parties have responsibility on this, yet it'll take some convincing to get me to agree that ANYTHING useful has been done.

3. Healthcare - FORGET IT! Nothing has been done! Healthcare for seniors: a questionable drug benefit has been enacted.

4. The economy - This is the brightest spot for Republicans as the Dow flirts with all time highs. Yet there are nagging and lingering problems, such as the national debt and trade imbalance.

5. The environment... Hmm... it's easy to forget this. Just stay inside!!! The environment in your local mall is very well controlled. The polar ice caps are the smallest they've been in years!

Could the Democrats do better? I have my doubts... But if the president is hell-bent on leading us down the wrong direction, then the brakes need to be applied. I'm still waiting for him to begin uniting us: so far he's got us and the whole world fighting!!! Some of Bush's most right wing supporters have had his ear for too long. Maybe during his last two years, he'll be forced to become more pragmatic and things will get done. One can hope, anyway!