Germany's Conservative Merkel secures big win in liberal Europe

Sunday's result in the German Election is a huge boon for not only the Federal Republic of Germany, but also for the world community. In a time when the American President is actively peddling his plans for a second great society of expanded government and increased taxation, the German people seem to moving in the opposite direction.

Of course, we shouldn't get to carried away by describing Angela Merkel as a conservative in the American sense (she still favors VAT taxes, socialized medicine and is a huge advocate of the Global Warming theory), but for a European politician, she may yet be one of the most conservative minded on the European continent. Merkel has long been a strong ally of American foreign policy - supporting American initiatives in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Merkel, despite Islamic fundamentalist threats, continues to be an advocate to resist Islamic cultural incursions into Germany and Europe, and has deployed at least 4,000 German troops abroad in the cause of liberty. This is of course a difficult line to walk, given both internal and external reminders that Germany that it has had its own history of military ambitions at one time and the ghosts of those days are still fresh to some. That aside, Merkel has managed to win support from right, left, and center.

American conservatives can view this victory with a sense of irony. Just a few years ago, the United States under President George Bush saw a period of thawing of German-US relations as then-Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was vastly opposed to supporting American action in the Middle East referring to them as mere "adventures" instead of recognizing the jihadist threats as legitimate. When Frau Merkel came to power, US-German relations turned positive almost over night and cooperation improved to levels not seen since the Kohl years. Sadly, since the election of Barack Obama, relations have once again soured. And perhaps the beginning in a change in relationship between the two countries may have occurred when Obama decided to use the Brandenburg Gate as a backdrop during the Presidential campaign tour. Little did we know that such bad judgement was a sign of things to come.

But what's clear is that this change in the winds is not just due to political philosophy. Obama, a foreign policy novice, appears to have ruffled feathers in Berlin, London, and Paris - a trifecta. This is historic in its own right as even as Gordon Brown, who is closer to Obama in his politics, was snubbed by Obama who, last week, refused to make five minutes for him. While Obama thought this attitude acceptable, the foreign press recognized the insult without hesitation. Hardly the way to treat America's greatest ally in world politics.

What American Conservatives (and European, as well) can take most delight in from this moment is the fact that the Obama phenomena doesn't have legs. There isn't some global move to the left, which sometime follows a shift when Americans make drastic political change. Conservatives won outright this time around. It may even be said that Obama's policies which have so negatively impacted the US economy may have actually helped the Christian Democrats win this election. The example of a downward trending economy caused by irresponsible spending and anti-business policies have shown to be a fair warning to all that such backwards policies are damaging to one's own national interest.

Merkels win is also historic in that her party managed to kick the Social Democrats down eleven percent from the last election, and moved the Social Democrats down to the lowest total vote count since the fall of Weimar Republic in 1933. We may have a new Iron Lady at last.

According to Bloomberg analysis, the Merkel government was successful in that it "delivered the lowest jobless rate in six years and the highest tax surplus since 1949. Germany's economic expansion is radiating across Europe, leading to a European Commission prediction of 2.6 percent growth this year in the 13 nations that share the euro, outpacing the U.S. for the first time in six years."

So perhaps it wasn't luck. And it certainly wasn't media manipulation. It was more likely reward for reform and success even at a time when the Global Market has suffered from fraudulent bank loans, and bad economic practices. Merkel campaigned on tax cuts, and deregulation which is nearly the opposite of the rhetoric heard by President Obama and his cabinet. Yet the results are in. And Frau Merkel and her ministers are leading the way, maybe its time that America follow their lead for a change.

Barack Obama and The Coming Race War

This essay is going to be hard for some to swallow. And some people may even become upset with me, and my choice of words here. But there are some things that must be said, plain and simple.

There is no use denying it.

The Obama administration is clearly hell-bent on expanding government over our lives, business, and culture to an extent never before seen. In their minds, they feel justified in doing this based on a false premise that last year Barack Obama won convincingly over John McCain, and that Americans understood that this didn't mean reinventing government but rather remaking America. Further, they have falsely created the notion that Obama's victory was one based on political ideology and therefore he has carte blanche to do as he pleases even if it means uprooting our belief system. Obama and his followers have come to this archaic belief that somehow that Americans have embraced his brand of socialism and asked him to replace our capitalist model with a new form of totalitarian rule.

The reality couldn't be farther from the truth.

The fact is that John McCain ran a poor campaign. He said little in his own defense or in the defense of current policies. He and his ragtag campaign staff laid down as the Obama army walked (if not waltzed) over him all the way to victory. Obama promised Hope, Change, and a list of other generalized upbeat approaches to government. He didn't say what those changes were - he never said he was going to spend like a madman, or dismantle the healthcare system. No, he didn't say that because had he said it, he would have lost - even to a man as somber and uncreative as John McCain.

Over the past few months under Obama-rule, the people are waking up; we've began to see a stir of emotion but not from Conservatives like myself, who are usually up in arms about taxation and spending, and our normal key hot button issues. But for the first time in a long time, I'm beginning to see an outrage from people that for years and years have been nothing more than the walking dead; zombiing their way through the newspaper, eyes a-glaze, or nodding at the daily televised newscast. People, who normally hate politics or steer away from political discussions are the ones that are doing the talking it up at cocktail parties, and in the workplace. And hell, they are even getting on buses traveling to D.C. to be heard! In a lot of ways, its surreal.

And they are going to "tea parties", and town hall meetings, and making calls to people out of recognition of what Obama represents and what he's trying to do. I see old people, and young people, and working class blue collar people involved, all fighting back against the Obama tide. And I'm scratching my head since these constituencies only months ago, were doing all the flag waving and crying for Obama to be our Savior.

So there is a real backlash out there. People are frustrated and confused - not by what Obama claims is the peddling of false rumors about his healthcare plan, but by the facts about his plan as they exist. And they are outraged by the never ending Obama propaganda machine that is selling bits and pieces of a plan that are hardly intelligible. Of course the snitch on your neighbor plan didn't appeal to people either. People also fear this rush to pass this something, a something without details describing what they are proposing, how they are going to pay for it, or how it would be administered.

OK, so far?

So as the protests grow, we see a lot of -- and this where I'm turning up the heat -- white folk out on the Mall holding signs. I see a lot of white folk making calls, and showing up at Town Halls expressing outrage, but what I don't see, except for the rare exception, are black folks stepping up to confront the dangers of an overzealous government. And that my friends is a very unfortunate matter. That is an area of concern that few people are willing to shine a light upon.

Generally speaking policy making rarely becomes race related. There are exceptions where black folks get upset - most notably when it comes to police arrests and judicial sentencing, because there is a claim that due to imagined racial profiling that black people are more likely to get arrested, or land in jail. Of course, rarely is this a reasonable argument unless one only draws attention to the number of minorities in jail which is solely the result of them committing crimes and being caught by police. These statistics are quickly overlooked by black activists.

But when it comes to this President, it clearly seems that the Obama team has deemed that race has become the overall reason for outspoken disagreement against the President's plan. In perfectly time collusion, over the last several weeks, the media has spent a lot of time playing the race card. Over this last weekend, on cue, The New York Times ran an irresponsible column by left-wing apologist Maureen Down alluding to racism for the reason of Joe Wilson's outburst on the House floor. Can someone legitimately make such a case? Simply try to destroy a man for his disagreeing with the President? Of course not, but that doesn't stop Democrats and their media friends from using this sure fire, stop gap measure to stop the advance of the President's critics.

Democrats do this because they know that making this claim automatically stops sensible debate and shines a different light on the antagonists at hand. It's akin to using a paralysis drug on the central nervous system. People sweat, tear up, and freeze. They begin to second guess what they've been saying and go into a defensive mode that makes them forget what they were saying and spew idiotic things like, "I'm not a racist, I like black people, some of my best friends are black." And thus it snowballs out of control. And before you know it, your fifty miles away from the real issue at hand.

This lowbrow approach is dangerous for Democrats and the left because calling someone a racist is just another tactic. It's an antibiotic that the general public has gotten used to. In similar cases, the left often claims that Obama is compared to Adolf Hitler (which I've actually never heard used in an argument by the way by conservative, although I distinctly remember seeing a lot of left wing propaganda depicting Bush as Hilter, etc), and so the endless argument that Obama is no Hitler merely serves as a distraction from the real issues at hand. Yet eyes are glazing over. And only Hitler's ghost and reputation seem to benefit from the dumbing down of Hitler's atrocities.

So then we have Obama's interference in the police arrest of his friend Professor Gates, and then we have an appointment and dismissal of black militant Van Jones. And we see that reaction in the black community is hardly in keeping with what might have been expected by whites if a neo-nazi were appointed by a white president. The irony is amazing.

Moreover, polls show that black folks favor the President's approach (Gallop poll: 93% last week) and give him a high approval rating when people from other races find themselves split (with a slightly higher margin opposed to his policies).

The Obama administration isn't the only one playing the race card. California Representative Diane Watson went out of her way last month to play the race card saying, "So remember they [meaning opponents] are spreading fear and trying to see that the first president who looks like me, fails; don’t misunderstand what is at the bottom line [suggesting racism]". I see. Or perhaps we all see, all too well.

From the looks of things, if black folks remain in lock step with whatever Obama proposes, then it will be hard not to imagine charges of racism coming from both camps creeping into the oncoming debate. And with the media fanning the flames as they did with the Gates story, it hardly unimaginable that thing could degrade to a very uncomfortable level, and even to the point where violence is possible.

What's next? Will polices for Government run healthcare be seen as "pro-black" and the private sector option seen as "pro-white" or "anti-black"? Will the Congressional Black Caucus continue to push in lockstep as a unified group for Government run healthcare despite that all Americans are against this notion? Will Jesse Jackson show up on the scene to make a connection to between "his poor children on the streets" and the greed of Ronald Reagan's white society?

Will the debate get uglier? Will Obama's failure been summed up as merely whites not allowing a black man to succeed? Will phony arguments about race take center stage over clear economic rationale?

I hate to say it, but stage one of the race war has begun. And the win-at-all-cost White House won't hesitate to go in any direction that gets them a win. I see the atmosphere of the OJ Simpson era reemerging.

I hope the President and his attack dogs know what pain they are unleashing on America.

The average persons guide to Obama-Care and the ongoing debate

If you came away more confused after last evening's Barack Obama HealthCare sales pitch, well - you are not alone. Barack Obama spent most of America's valuable time attacking Republicans and talk show hosts over what he deemed the "spreading of misinformation". This in itself is a propaganda tactic that even Joseph Goebbels would be proud of - since most of the anarchy and confusion about Obama's plan seems to be a result of his constant change in position as he floats new trial balloons every day. The real facts about Obama-Care, or socialized medicine are readily available since the failed models that currently exist in Canada and Europe are readily available for analysis.
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Let's go through some basic Q&A:
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Q: Obama says, we won't lose our doctor if we go with his new plan. What about this?
A: We don't know if that's true whatsoever. But what we do know is that doctors participate in plans based on providers offered through your company's benefit plans, and if Obama's plan passes, many companies will no longer offer the planned health insurance benefits for which your doctor is aligned with.
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Q: Why would companies no longer offer health insurance benefits to employees if Obama's plan passes?
A: It's going to be considerably cheaper for companies to pay an 8% tax or penalty to the Government run bureaucracy instead of offering you the costly benefit of health insurance. It gets the monkey off your company's back and the taxpayer is stuck with the bill. Think of how happy your company would be if didn't have to get involved in benefit administration, enrollment, etc. Nevermind, the cost savings.
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Q: Obama says that only premium plans will be affected and there won't be any loss of benefits, is this true?
A: Obama is being disingenuous about this because he's using a very basic health insurance plan that have few options as a benchmark. Most Americans have good health insurance plans through their employers - dental, pharmacy, basic medical, and preventive care. Calling a plan a premium plan is puzzling rhetoric. I will bet anyone that the Government run plan won't be as generous as the private sector choice that you get through your company. Today, people actually choose to work for companies sometimes based on the Health Insurance options. This competition makes companies more competitive or attractive to candidates. That would disappear overnight if Obama's plan passes.
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Q: What about Obama's claim about 78 million uninsured?
A: First of all, the numbers Obama uses change weekly. The numbers are all over the place and are being used to insight fear and trepidation. There are a lot of reasons why some people are uninsured. Many are students (but covered by parents), many are unemployed or between jobs, and many are simply not interested in paying for health insurance - these are mainly recent high school and college kids, that Obama's people are figuring in as "uninsured". Hell, I didn't want health insurance when I started my first job either. I wanted the cash. So the numbers game is a shell game at best. Let's not forget the illegal immigrants that are thrown in to create this figure.
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Q: What about emergencies? If these people don't have health care are they turned away?
A: The United States mandates that no one can be turned away by a hospital for critical care. The taxpayers fit the bill for the uninsured, and that isn't likely to change. Of course, there is tremendous abuse in the system. Walk into any ER and you can see it first hand. I did when I worked at a hospital, and when I worked as an EMT.
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Q: Why is Obama hell-bent on socialized medicine?
A: The answer goes much deeper into political philosophy understanding how Obama thinks.
Barack Obama is a die hard liberal who believes in the widespread expansion of Government on all levels. And he doesn't think much of capitalism. The driving force behind our economy is profit margins, competition, capitalism, etc, basic Adam Smith economics. Obama and his allies are no friends of the free market. By their own admission, their goal is to remake America, and since 1/6 of our economy is insurance related, that is a good place to start making changes to expand government. And its only the beginning.
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Q: Wouldn't health insurance be more more efficient if the government ran it?
A: No. It wouldn't. Take for example, the Postal Service. Over the course of time, the Government has so mismanaged the postal service that it is now over 60 cents to send a basic letter. Just twenty years ago, it was half that cost. The letter still travels the same route, in the same bag, in the same vehicles, using the same envelopes, which use the same zip codes. Yet over twenty years, there is less efficiency at twice the cost.
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Now think about any other Government run agency, from the Internal Revenue Service to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Happy with that service? Well most people aren't. Recently, cash for clunkers was a massive failure that cost the taxpayers millions.
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Now take it a step further. Do you think getting an appointment with your primary care physician is hard now? What would happen if EVERYONE suddenly flooded the system because they "can". People dive on free stuff (and of course its not free, but that's another topic) and the lines will be like they are in other countries that have socialized medicine. Study England and Canada's healthcare system and talk to their residents before thinking how great an idea this is. Few fly to Canada for medical operations these days, do they?
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Q: Didn't Obama say healthcare is a right?
A: Healthcare is NOT a right. Neither is food, property, transportation, beer, or anything else that is a commodity. Generally, rights are reserved for things like freedom of speech, press, assembly, etc. There is no right of material goods or services drawn up in the US Constitution. And thank God for that.
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Q: Who would decide who gets what benefits in the case of aged or terminal care.
A: That would be someone who sits atop of the Government payroll in one of the new 56 bureaucracies. That is sort of a scary thought, isn't it?
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Q: Obama says he's going to cut medicare but make up the costs through making efficiencies and cutting government waste and abuse.
A: No economist buys into this nonsense. Even people on the left turn and laugh into their sleeves. The fact is that if this were possible, it would have ordered back years ago. There is not 500 million is savings anywhere to be found anyway.
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Q: Obama's plan is so great that even Congressman will give up their healthcare plans to be part of it, right?
A: No, this is such a great plan that Congress made themselves EXEMPT from having to participate in it. That alone speaks volumes.
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Q: Where are the details of the plan?
A: Great question. The answer is that there are no specific details of the plan, nor has Congress worked out a way to cover the costs of the "plan". Yet there is a huge rush to pass "something" right away in order to show that we are "moving forward". Fooling with 1/6 of our economy like this without details is incredibly irresponsible way of doing business. Obama is interested in passing something right away because the more people learn everyday about socialized medicine, the fewer people support it.
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Q: Don't you think something should be done? Premiums are up, costs are up, healthcare costs have skyrocketed? Isn't it ridiculous?
A: Absolutely, something should be done. But we are in a frantic state right now. Obama and his cohorts are yelling all or nothing. Conservatives are mounting a defense against socialism. The time for negotiation and reason or solving issues in a bipartisan matter has probably passed. When people attack each other with such vigor, its impossible for them to be rationale. Anger stories, tear-jerking stories, screaming from a podium, and putting stakes in the ground are just not helpful. Those taking advantage of our medical and legal system are praying nothing changes at all. Some make a killing on the misery of others. But little can be done when the battleground is laid out for Capitalism v Socialism. Pockets of agreements can't be found and no one will budge an inch. Perhaps too much is at state to budge an inch.
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Q: Do you think something will pass?
A: It's hard to tell. I think the Democrats will probably get something passed but it won't address everything they want, but it will be enough for Republicans to use to campaign against. It's unlikely that the whole deal of socialized medicine would pass, the fragile economy cannot handle this kind of change quickly, and Democrats would be voted out in a landslide if they ever tried to ram through socialized medicine. The backlash would be tremendous. As it is, many of these Congresspeople will not be returning in the following term based on the anger of their constituents.
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Q: What about the sad stories about people who can't get healthcare. Stories like the one's CBS runs every night in their end segment. Don't you care about them?
A: You know there will always be poor, homeless, sick, lame, and terminal people in the world. The Utopian concept that Government can solve all issues is false one. Trying isn't always best when the majority suffer to assist a minority population. If you care about your world, do your best to be YOUR best. This administration is miles for JFK's "As not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your Country." Now its about what can the Government can do for you. This is a huge shift in thinking. Oh and by the way, the media outlets like CBS to a tremendous disservice to the debate by tugging at American's heart strings every night by pushing for Obama's healthcare plan through fear mongering and sympathy. It's simple bias. They way you can tell is that there are never stories about people who like things they way they are, and their current healthcare choices. The media only presents one side, and that is the liberal side.
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Q: How do we stop Obama and the Democrats from making a rash decision and voting something in just to vote something in?
A: Call your Congressman's office and tell them if they vote for socialized medicine that the opposition party (regardless of which one it is) will get your vote. Send letters, and attend Town Hall meetings. And tell your friends to do the same. Then have the courage to follow through if they fail you - meaning, vote them out.
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Q: Why is Obama so forceful on this healthcare matter?
A: His reputation and legacy are on the line. Since he's become President nothing has gone right: he's increased the deficit, jobs have been lost and we are near double digit unemployment, spending has increased an unprecedented rate, and his stimulus plans have failed outright. The economy, the war, just about everything is a mess. Obama needs a win. If he loses this battle, he's pretty much done. He'll be a lame duck for the rest of his term.

The Beer Summit

Last week Barack Obama made the foolish mistake of commenting on an incident in Cambridge Massachusetts involving one of his long time trouble-making allies, Professor William Gates, and Cambridge Police.
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Cambridge Police responded to a 911 call about a potential break in as reported by a passing observer. Police responded and carried out basic response protocol - trust no-one, interview everyone and determine the facts. Obviously, on its face value, the situation looks like a basic misidentification for the suspect was unfortunately, Professor Gates.
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The problem occurred when Professor Gates decided he wasn't going to cooperate with Police, and started become belligerent - in the normal style that most black activists with a chip on their shoulder do - and he refused to follow police instruction, called the Police "You're Mama" and pushed Police thus getting himself charged with disorderly conduct.
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Last week, Barack Obama made the intentional comment in front of the Press Corp that the Police acted "Stupidly". Obviously, Obama was defending a long time friend and proponent of his by speaking out against police and in favor of Professor Gates. What Mr. Obama doesn't realize is that he cannot just go running his mouth and rendering opinions on things without understanding the facts. The fact that he made judgments about the police (despite the video clearly showing Professor Gates' antics) is an example of his inability to keep his mouth shut and keep his nose clear of squabbles and minor issues found in any daily police blotter.
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Barack Obama has forgotten that he cannot just bully his way through an issue (he is learning this with health care) and just because he says something doesn't exactly mean that its true (or close to true). Obama is learning the hard way that Presidents do not get mired down in minor issues or force fights with public citizens while he conducts state business in the public eye - particularly, those that he disagrees with. You would have thought he would have learned something from his public jousting with Radio Talk Show Host Rush Limbaugh, who through collateral damage diminished both Obama's stature and public position.
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Not satisfied with leaving well enough alone, today Obama decided to hold a "Beer Summit" in the backyard of the White House. Besides being poor use of the President of the United States' time and energy, he further fanned the flames of both the race issue and managed to bump serious issues from the headlines of both print and video media. With an overall approval rating dropping below the half way point for his mishandling of the economy and confusion brewing over his healthcare scheme, Obama has managed to mire himself in race relations and police v black relations which is a no-win scenario for him at any time.
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So here we have three men appearing together toasting each other at a table. Obviously, the police union is interested in closing the loop on this to remove heighten angst from the black community in Cambridge, and Senatorial pressure from the Kennedy camp et al, and Obama wants to be seen as some "uniter" having blown the issue out of proportion nationally, and then there is Professor Gates, who needs his huge ego stroked, and managed to get a well deserved disorderly conduct charge dropped. Gates is the big winner in all of this because he can claim a big victory against the authoritarian white male and the fuzz. No doubt that he'll find himself a big hit at all the NAACP cocktail parties, and perhaps even star as a fundraiser for their on- going hyperinflated white society bashing parties.
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I'm sure that a great deal of what was said AT Sgt. James Crowley amounted to a sort of "sensitivity training" class of sorts. Listening to just how hard it is to be a black man in a white society, and how the police make trouble in the black communities (despite statistics on crime by race). A dialogue that substitutes facts for fiction; and paints a dark dreary picture of centuries of abuse by the White man. Boy, poor Sargent Gates really earned his money today.
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I'm sure Sargent Crowley tried to get a word in edge wise about police protocol, and how difficult it is to be a policeman in a faltering, crime-ridden society. But none of that really mattered to either Obama or Gates. I'm sure they listened, nodded, and waited for their turn to talk about what they came to teach Sgt. Gates.
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The problem with Barack Obama is that his ongoing adventures are costing him priceless time and capital with the American people. Largely, as polls show, they see this as a folly from start to finish. And they are beginning to size up his Presidency in just the same terms. It's just another bad week, and everyone is wondering what trouble he's going to create for himself and us next.

The King's View on Michael Jackson

This is another of those articles that I'm sure is going to infuriate a few people, but I don't mind that one bit. I grew up in the 80s. Michael Jackson's music is something that I often listened to on radio, and probably even danced to when we went out on the town. I like several of the songs that Michael Jackson performed, and his videos were very creative for the time. Ok, songs like Beat It weren't sophisticated, but other songs like Gone too Soon, hit a note with most of the population who followed the Ryan White story.
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In truth I didn't pony up a penny to own any of his music - I guess I didn't like it enough to include it in my collection of pop and rock. But I still appreciated it, and Michael's talent for singing and dancing was probably better than most in his generation of 80s Pop Artists. Of course, those were my high school into college years though. I'm talking back when Michael Jackson sort of looked normal, and really only went as far as wearing sunglasses inside and showing off one single glove as part of his stick. We could all live with that. We all remember artists like Boy George, Ozzie Osbourne, and many in the Glam Rock groups who seemed a heck of a lot stranger than Michael Jackson, or at least I thought so.
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Then at some point in the early 90s, something really went terribly wrong. Not satisfied with his talent and merit driven stardom, he began to move to the absurd. The business of bleaching his skin, changing his facial structure, numerous nose jobs, and all of the rest of the maddening antics sort of went a step above being merely flamboyant and bizarre. And his persistent statements that it was not carefully manuevered set of operations, but rather nothing more than a disease was scoffed at by even those he called his friends. That was just Michael. I guess we all sort of got it - he lacked some self esteem, and he didn't like the way he looked, and we guess he had the money to do something about it - over and over and over again.
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The results were both unnecessary and eerie. Whatever he intended - greater acceptance perhaps, seemed to have the opposite effect. He went from normal, perhaps ordinary, to frightening.
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But these aren't the most bizarre components of this man's life. For whatever reason, like it or not, the facts are that Michael Jackson had a perverted and sick obsession with young children. There's enough evidence to make him more than suspect, and its enough to turn this father's stomach. You can read more here about Michael's sick behavior and the charges brought against him. You can also read this NBC News report which outlines the matter in some detail with dates and events as they unfolded.
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Unfortunately, Michael Jackson's hardcore fan base, many who see Jackson as a folk hero in the black community, and minority community tend to yell the loudest when it comes to defending Michael and his so-called character (maybe its to hide their own abnormalities, who knows). But this is a time old tradition - to attack the accuser, and detract away from the real matter at hand. Calling something a lie doesn't necessarily mean that it actually is a lie. Claiming something didn't happen because it wasn't caught on video tape or seen before 20 eyewitnesses doesn't mean it didn't happen either.
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The court documentation was been viewed by hundreds who pretty much report the same sick findings. While its true that many of the families who let Michael "borrow" their children aren't from well to do, millionaire backgrounds, and perhaps those are the people that had the most to gain in the trade offs between letting their child stay at Neverland or in Jacksonland unchaperoned, and unprotected. Yes, some of them did get greedy in the end, maybe the payments or favors became too much for Michael to absorb. I guess we'll never know since the victims in most cases dropped all cases via settlement. Did it ever occur to anyone that people of these means are probably the only source for this kind of arrangement? Sure they are scumbags that aught to have their children taken from them, but that's another story for another time.
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But you have to honestly ask yourself. It's hard to imagine settling several cases like this and not fighting tooth and nail to reclaim your reputation if indeed it were a lie. But many have seen the sealed documents, and they aren't pretty, and one can understand why Jackson rushed to put this to bed quietly.
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Then there were incidents not a sickening, but just as fool hardy, like dangling baby Blanket over a railing in front of a crowd. Just a prank quipped Michael. Just more irresponsible behavior by Michael Jackson, the world said. And Michael dealt with all of this by exiling himself to Europe so that he would be far away from the U.S. Justice Department and California judicial system which didn't see him as quite the untouchable perfect little superstar that he saw himself as.
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Michael Jackson died of a drug overdose, hardly heroic, hardly tragic in the way the media would have you believe. He expected to die in this fashion because its a well known fact that he told close friends, including one time wife Lisa Marie Presley that he was going to die in the same manner that Elvis did, and we know how that turned out. So the autopsy showed plainly that Jackson died of an overdose of seven or so prescription drugs (Xanax, Zoloft and painkiller Demerol in the mix). Sure, maybe he did or didn't intend on killing himself that night. We don't know if he was living close to the edge or decided enough was enough.
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So why am I raining on poor Michael's parade?
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Because in their rush to make Michael Jackson a Saint and a Martyr, the media seem to leave out some important facts which if reported, make Michael Jackson out to be much less than that shining star that people should want to emulate. And everyone loves a happy ending, even if the hero is really an imperfect villain. Jesh, just another victim of the filthy rich Hollywood stress farm that make a man do evil things, I guess.
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This weekend the circus is growing by leaps and bounds. Even Rev. Al Sharpton has found a way to insert himself so he can cry "racism" if an ounce of criticism is leveled at Michael Jackson for his past sick indiscretions (now only deemed as accusations since all the payoff paychecks have been cashed).
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So I guess we have two Michael Jacksons in this story. The Michael Jackson who died this year from a self induced drug overdose, selfishly leaving behind three children he either adopted or fathered (we don't really know). And the one who died in 1992 just before the sleep-overs began. If you want to remember Michael Jackson, please take a step beyond the direction the self-interested media has taken - all show and wonder; be fair, please don't forget just what a monster, and a predator that he became. There is more to life than glamor, music, and breaking music chart records. It's the person behind the music that really counts. And there are probably hundreds of people on the sex offender lists that did someone a good turn now and then. But not all crimes or all favors balance out.
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I won't miss Michael Jackson. Not one bit. Nor will his victims, or the families of the victims. But its not going to be beyond me to occasionally listen to his music if it comes on the radio now and then. I promise not to storm off to the stereo in front of my house guests to change the station if Billie Jean comes on. Honestly. So my small hypocrisy only goes so far. But not as far as some ideologues, media creatures, and zombie fans who sadly don't find anything wrong with the present picture, or see the sick, dark life that Michael Jackson chose to lead. Perhaps those are the ones who should listen to the lyrics to Man in the Mirror just a little more closely.

Remember Tianamen Square and think of today

For most of us who grew up in the 80s, we distinctly remember the CNN image of the one man who stood up to a column of tanks in Tienanmen Square. Why, after such a bloody massacre already in progress by the Chinese Military, the tanks didn't run him down or he wasn't shot, we never really understood. Perhaps the Chinese censors didn't want to deal with the international press' question on this one topic. For what we know now, this individual is still rotting away in jail.

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I was prompted to this memory thanks to Glenn Hauser's World of Radio Program episode 1462: http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1462.mp3 , a show I enjoy that generally deals with the world of radio and communications. Listening to the concern of the Radio Bejing announcer provided in the clip really hit home. It is our understanding that this individual is also sitting somewhere in a jail cell for delivering this broadcast, along with others who made the transmission possible. To this day, we do not know the announcers name and the Chinese communist government has forbidden its utterance.

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It's particularly alarming when you think about our current state of affairs. For years, American Presidents have stood up to totalitarian regimes - in China, the Middle East, and Europe through both actions and words. Yet today, our present administration has gone down the dark path of trying to diminish America values by apologizing to our enemies over our pro-democratic positions. Positions like standing up for individual freedom, human rights, and democracy. And for standing up for religious tolerance, freedom of speech, press, and assembly.

It's remarkable that Americans don't see the unique and disparaging behavior of Barack Obama as he makes his so-called historic visit to the Middle East. The contrast between great Presidents like Ronald Reagan or Theodore Roosevelt, and someone like Barack Hussein Obama are enormous. Where Reagan stood up and saw America as a shining city on a mountain, Obama sees only darkness and decay. Where Reagan admonished Communist Leaders to "tear down this wall", Obama tells Arabs that Americans should not export our values and beliefs. Where Reagan pushed for democratic reforms, Obama praises communist and Islamic fundamentalists leaders, and treats them as worthy equals on the world stage. While Teddy Roosevelt charged up San Juan Hill to defeat thugs and bandits, Obama only yesterday told Arab leaders that we acted inappropriately with our military when Islamic murders murdered thousands in the twin towers.

Boy, we've come a long way. Today's images, 20 years remembered, of one man standing up to a column of tanks - the machinery of the barbarian proletariat to the image of an American President bowing down before and shaking hands with dictators, rogues and Mulahs. A President apologizing for democracy. My God, I ask, what have we become?

Americans. Is this the change you really want? It's a sickening though that we have three more years of this traitoristic behavior to endure. Today, we look elsewhere for our heroes. A we remember one man, who blocked a column of tanks and was willing to die for basic freedoms that we squander. What a pity.

I know you've all missed me...

Hi, old friends. Yes, I'm going to be back to blogging again!

However, the format will probably change considerably from past versions. I don't expect to lose readership, since I'm most likely at ZERO readers after being off for four full months.

So what's the new format? Ahhhh, less on the political end, basic life stuff. But no long essays....

I can't keep up with writing long dissertations on topics as it lends to much delayed publishing of my work, and considerable time spent on my time to create the articles. I want to move to more general topics, shorter columns with a more interactive flair. My main goal has always been to practice my writing - in these days of IM and Twitter - we spend much time devoted to using numbers in place of words to fit our message into a 180 character limit. I can't imagine what kids are sending into teachers.

So what's been keeping me from blogging? Honestly, I've been wrapped up in homelife - working to death, and spending time with the kids. I've also been bit by the Facebook bug and Twittering.

Facebook is a lot of fun, and I've reconnected with so many friends from the past that's its been incredibly comical. You get to find out just how so and so made out after all these years. I've also met several new people from around the globe and I get a real kick out of reading status updates from Australia, Great Britain, and the States. It's funny to read everyday dramatics with kids from people going through the same things you are.

Twittering the the tool for the ultimate busy-body. Do I need to know what someone is thinking every 20 minutes? Do they need to know what I'm thinking? I guess the answer is yes since my follower and friend list are growing every day. Hell, maybe it's just a tool to help prevent against a second of boredom.

I'll probably devote some time to both Facebook and Twitter soon.

Those of you who still check in to see if The King still writes, please drop me a line on my comment board. It would be great to hear from old friends and foes! LOL.

Look forward to hearing from you. Look forward to keeping you entertained!

Tired of Connecticut State Employees' antics; Just get over yourselves

Ok, I recognize the the title of my post is going to piss off some decent, hard-working Connecticut State Workers. Not all of you are out there leaning on a shovel watching traffic, or joy-riding in state owned vehicles. In fact, some of you are necessary (stressing the word some) to keep order and keep the roads clear from ice, and do whatever it is that you do for the four productive hours that you are on the clock.

Look State Worker, I have to remind you that you should see your job as nothing short of a privilege. You know this all too well because its the reason that you opted to find a state job over one in the private sector - the cushy job, union protection, FABULOUS benefits including plush vacation, holidays, healthcare (as compared to the rest of us), and retirement are well worth the stint.

But the gravy train is over. It's your stop and you're going to have to get off.

The whole planet, especially our part of it, is as Barack Obama seems to repeat (29 or so times in one speech) in crisis. Layoffs are occurring all over Metropolis, from cell phone salesmen to high powered money lenders. Everyone is feeling the pinch. Well, now its your turn to share the burden. Did you think hiding behind that state union was going to save you from the reality that we all share? Do you clowns think you are somehow beyond accountability seeing as you are on the taxpayers' clock?

Did you think Blumenthal and the rest of the union thugs were going to bail you out? Well, guess what? It's not about you, its about all of us.

But one thing I can't stand is your persistent Baloney. Wheeling old people out of old folks homes in the dead of winter to try and kick up sympathy for your pathetic selves while using them as propaganda tool is beyond pathetic, its cruel. Trying to scare people with the fraudulent statements that everything is going to shut down unless all one zillion of you stay employed is insane. What is means is that I guess your union is going to have to deal with the slackers and get rid of the deadwood. Hell, tenure, smenure. Maybe its time that the union put productivity over tenure and make a few new decisions about who stays and who goes.

Look State Employee, you've had it made forever. Now its time to act like Americans and share the painful burden with the rest of us. You are the monkey on OUR backs now and Obama's Government is fast becoming not just part of the problem, but the source of it.

So leave the old people alone, stop whining and start cutting. Start with the lazy ones first, and can your union reps one at a time. United you stand, and we all fall.

Next time Barack Obama comes to town, you can thank him for the $900 trillion dollars that he spent on all of his friend's projects. It's Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid that are putting you and your friends out of a job.

Fallen Angel

Two weeks into his administration, it appears that the anointed one, Barack Hussein Obama, has fallen to Earth. Indignant as they are, even his loyal followers are about to realize that he’s far from the answer to their prayers that they’ve been conned into believing.

During his rather rude and meager inaugural address - where he sought to publicly embarrass President Bush, Obama bragged that he planned on setting the highest standards by ushering in “a new era of responsibility." Meanwhile, the Messiah’s picks for Cabinet exposed the upstart genius for his lack of ingenuity, and ability to execute a basic vetting process for forming a legitimate and uncompromised government.

People like Nancy Killefer and Bill Richardson were exposed as liabilities and dismissed quickly by the media, but they at least escaped the embarrassing scorching that Tom Daschle and Timothy Geithner faced. Daschle was a sure win for Obama since he was largely respected on both sides of the aisle - before it became known that he didn’t pay $128K in taxes; Daschle was forced to withdraw in a somber speech five feet from the President. It was an awkward TV moment for a would-be-all-knowing President.

Geithner is a different story. He won the nomination, but at what cost? He can be seen limping around the Capitol, clearly bleeding, compromised, and illegitimate. This economic crisis was caused by cheats, liars, and incompetents, and yet Americans are expected to believe that an individual of the same character as the villains that got us in this mess is somehow supposed to save us. Fat chance. Some of us see a hourglass floating above Geithner’s head with the sand of time running out. Even Larry Kudlow believes that this Treasury Secretary’s days are numbered.

Being weaker than weak, and trying to separate himself from the perceived inflexibility of his predecessor, Obama summoned the network anchors to the Oval Office so they could film him pouting and admitting he made a mistake. But he made four mistakes, not one. And Americans need to see competence and leadership, not a man falling on his sword admitting his mistakes – particularly those that are probably typical to the selection process. Worst of all, pandering to a ruthless media will be his undoing. Winning point with Katie Couric doesn’t mean, winning points with Americans.

So much for the ongoing Cabinet process; all we can wonder is what’s next.

Another distasteful move by Obama was his decision to go on Arab Television – Al Arabiya. Obama’s fateful words “All too often, America starts by dictating…” didn’t sit well with American viewers. The concept of blame America first is right out of the liberal manifesto penned by the Democratic National Soviet Committee. Obama doesn’t seem to see the correlation between the good and evil that has been waged over the past eight years, starting with several planes hitting the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and crashing in a field in Pennsylvania which took hundreds of innocent lives, and ruined many more. Then you can throw into the mix the thousands killed by Saddam Hussein and Taliban extremists all over the Middle East. Yet Obama excuses all of it to start an apology campaign at the expense of innocents and American strength.

The reason this is so dangerous is that Strength through Weakness is the liberal’s relativistic world view. This falls along the same crazy thinking that inspired Obama to tell viewers that he would sit down with Iran’s sinister President Ahmadinejad, and work out a deal and compromise. Obama comes from a world of Utopia dreamers, and not the land of realists that we’ve been blessed to keep us safe this past eight years. Obama plans to turn us from the lion on the block to the wishy-washy Charlie Brown version of a our former selves. Frightening thought since weakness emboldens tyrants.

And whose bright idea was it to diminish the President’s stature by getting him to engage in a war with Radio Talk Show personality Rush Limbaugh? Talk about bizarre and unfitting behavior. That’s the ideologue in Obama – thinking his victory was more than it is, he launched his own war of words against conservative talk radio. And it seemed that by any objective evaluation – Rush won that one (with half his brain tied behind his back). Fact is, Obama helped the GOP find a focal point that’s long been absent from dialogue.

Last but not least, is the creation and politicking for the support of a massive $900 trillion dollar spending package, code-named – stimulus, that is made up of ideological treats and treasures, National Review has a lowdown of some of the more obvious problems with the bill here.

The American response to a bill that has such an emphasis on “nice to haves” and pork spending at a time of crisis has been astounding. Republicans have been unified but fairly weak, and Democrats like Senator Ben Nelson (NE) have had to step in and insist that the irresponsible spending schemes be removed, if passage is to be assured. Obama’s rhetoric has been very disappointing, calling on Congress to pass the pork package or else doom is certain. Americans were really expecting him to take a stand for common sense particularly during a week where he rightfully called for corporate greed-demons to stop collecting millions in bonuses on the backs of bailout packages funded by taxpayers.

Yet, mighty Barack instead of taking the same tact with his own party went on television to try to sell winterization as a job stimulus program. Tisk, tisk. The new President is either a buffoon or a liar. So what will it be?

What a glorious two weeks for the anointed one. I’m sure he’ll get his spending package approved by reigning in the politicos. And when that fails, then what? The blaming of Bush will only have so much mileage since the passage of this do-noting package was crafted, pushed, sold and voted on by Obama and his Democratic ideologues.

It’s going to be a long four years, but we only need to get to two to effectively turn the tide.

The end of an "error"; Colin McEnroe finally canned by WTIC

There are wonderful days, and there are more wonderful days. But the news that WTIC's longtime voice of the far left, Colin McEnroe, is gone from the AM airwaves. The very thought reminds me of the scene in the Wizard of Oz when hundreds of munchkins came out to sing, "Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead." Happy, cheery faces, celebrating the downfall of their most dreaded foe. And so it is, Colin McEnroe (although not literally) is dead.

It's hard to image what might have been McEnroe's downfall. The socialist world thought of McEnroe as the true poster boy for Connecticut liberalism. I have to admit that I would listen to his program from time to time just to get the left's perspective on issues of the day. McEnroe was usually on target every time with the Democrat Party's official positions, which made me assume that he often would be briefed on what to say and what not to say. McEnroe never strayed from the party line.

But generally speaking, his program lacked depth. Much of his time was embarrassingly spent counter-arguing Rush Limbaugh's comments from the day's earlier time slot. Hearing him say "Rush said this" and "Rush said that" sort of irked me because I'm not a fan of Rush Limbaugh either and could care less about what Rush thinks, let along what Colin thinks of what Rush thought. I used to find myself saying, God buddy, can't you find your own material or are listeners doomed to listen to you rehash what Limbaugh spewed for three hours. Ahhgggg!

McEnroe also spent hours and hours engaging in character assassination of President Bush. It was more of the same drab, boring dialogue that often forced me to hit the scan button. Anyone can read other people's blogs or stories and try to make them their own. Sort of the lazy-man's version of a radio personality. Hearing him chat with "Lucrutis" sort of became stale and old after the 90th time.

There are a number of times over the past several years that I happened to spar with McEnroe on his program. But I stopped calling when he decided that it was best to handle me by changing the topic and becoming unnecessarily rude, and cutting me off. Of course, this was fairly typical behavior by him when he realized that he was either outwitted or didn't have an counter-argument to the facts at hand.

Part of the problem with McEnroe's style is that rarely would he allow someone of a different opinion to sway him on even fairly-neutral topics. McEnroe's best (if not only) strategy to any caller who was kicking his rear or counter-arguing him on points was: 1) Go to commercial (he would only take on bright repeat callers at the end of a segment) so he could make a quick off-topic remark and hide behind the traffic report, or 2) poke fun at the caller and hang up.

McEnroe was never interested in the truth which is why Republicans had such little respect for him. He was simply the mouthpiece of the Connecticut Democrat party. His attempts to make people like Bill Curry respectable news sources on issues of the day was comedy in itself. For McEnroe, it was never about dialogue, it was about singing the party line to the audience.

Off-mic, he was deemed socially inept. And people who worked with him often quit, or found "better" jobs. While I can't go into that detail without exposing individuals, I can only say that their arguments were a replication of what we often heard on the air... name calling, back-stabbing and completely untrustworthy behavior. As one person told me, working with McEnroe meant dealing with a five year old that would stab you with a steak knife if you weren't looking.

But what I miss most is probably - McEnroe's mumbling incoherent garble on the microphone. With nowhere to go (often admitting it on air) we'd hear rambling sentences that simply didn't make sense at all. What he lacked in knowledge, he also lacked in personality and show content. It's sad that it took WTIC so long to realize that the Colin McEnroe show was non-revenue bearing gibberish taking up space in the afternoon between more successful shows.

What's hard for Connecticut liberals to realize is that if McEnroe were truly successful, he wouldn't be getting the boot.

Today, Connecticut is a better place without WTIC 1080's daily broadcast of a mean-spirited 1960s throwback. Don't be surprised if he shows up elsewhere, there are still enough stations that need cheap filler between 3 and 6.

Just thank God those stations don't have 20 thousand watts.

Colin McEnroe

2009 Predictions

The great King has predictions (some fun, some real) for all of you. The problem is that you will have to figure out which ones are serious, and which ones are meant to irk you or make you laugh.

From the King's Crystal Ball -- here goes:

1. The conflict in the Middle East will widen. Some Arab states which are usually neutral or quiet about Israeli aggression will use leverage found through condemnation by some European States as an opportunity to change political position and move toward a more critical position of Israel. This will make for strange bedfellows in the Middle East and create problems for Western Democracy's survival in the Middle East.

2. Vladimir Putin will continue to tighten his reign of tyranny on Russia. Russians will not contest Russia's continued slide back toward a totalitarian state. News stories will surface about the "disappearance" of pro-Western representatives and advocates. Obama will do nothing.

3. Putin will start additional military action in neighboring states with the goal to put back together the old USSR. This won't mean redrawing maps, but putting his lackeys in power, and working toward setting up near satellite states. Obama will make a few speeches but not offer the same strong condemnations that Republican administrations have in the past.

4. A far right party will emerge in Germany and this will be due to economic devastation which is largely unavoidable globally. Chancellor Merkel and the coalition will be out of office and replaced with a left-leaning government.

5. Republicans will not be able to reorganize themselves due to infighting. Moderate elements of the party will sabotage any attempt to return to conservative values and positions. Instead, the party will drift from principle and attempt to placate the media by placing minorities and women in leadership positions to attempt to illustrate "a new Republican Party". More conservative third parties will emerge, weakening the Republican base further, and aiding Democrats in more previously Republican controlled districts. The damage will be irreversible for decades to come.

6. Barack Obama will advance his agenda but nothing he implements will have teeth. For example, Global Warming initiatives will be limited to tax credits and such for businesses that implement green initiatives. Most of it will be lip service. But a number of pointless businesses will emerge that will do little but create a 'green sector'. The victories will be short lived, as Global Warming arguments fade as the US encounters extremely cold winters. The comments by the EU president that global warming is fraud won't help.

7. More left wing states will adopt same sex marriage. The wear and tear on insurance and disability premiums will be costly. The courts will have rounds of more complex divorce proceedings that will further erode the judicial system's ability to handle cases. Some high profile same sex divorces involving adopted children will splash headlines.

8. There will be several attempts on Barack Obama's life. He will live in a bubble making him less accessible by even his own party members. His wife's anti-white tendencies and opinions will make the news and she will quickly become the most dislike first lady in history.

9. Joe Biden will become Barack Obama's biggest liability. His temper and comments will make media headlines and cause incredible embarrassment for Obama.

10. At least one, maybe two Supreme Court Justices will announce resignation. Obama will seek a black nominee to offset Clarence Thomas political leanings and representation on the bench.

11. Iran will announce that they have a nuclear bomb. Whether they do or not is questionable.

12. Israel will air strike Iran in 2009.

13. America's voice in the world will diminish now that Obama will take the Presidency. Since Nations know that Obama is not a hawk or interventionist, rogue states will be left to do what they please. The vacuum will not be filled as Europe continues to sink into isolationist positions (yet calling on the US to do something).

14. Democrats will raise taxes on majority of Americans; Obama will do a 180, blame Bush, and call it patriotic and a sacrifice. Republicans will do little but make a lot of noise.

15. Economic problems, and the move toward a left leaning government will cause a rise in violent crime, hate crimes and all other crimes. Police and security agents will be unable to handle the rise in crime.

16. Change will come to America. And it won't be pleasant for anyone.