Another friend and memo reader sent me what I have posted in 2 below. No one took the time to stop and smell the roses nor hear the sweetness.
The three questions suggest this answer - apparently not. (See 2 below.)
Holding onto Obama's former Senate seat may be like tackling a greased pig. (See 3 below.)
I had the pleasure of meeting Jeb Bush in Atlanta at a fund raiser many years ago and before he became governor. Impressive young man. Did a pretty good job as governor as well. (See 4 below.)
Anytime Obama tells you what we can and cannot do - know it is only a matter of time before his actions belie his words. (See 5 below.)
'Rahm-rod' sticks his foot in his mouth again. He is doing such a great job destroying his own party and Obama's presidency I would hate for him to be fired. (See 6 below.)
There is no reason we should have unemployment. Everyone unemployed should be offered a job in government. Since you cannot fire government employees it would be tantamount to permanent work. (See 7 below.)
Finally, my Canadian friend sent me this. (See 8 below.)
Dick
1) From CIA retiree: All this is my read too. Israel's fate is seriously threatened and they know it. Their only hope is to strike first and hope the delay will result in future conditions that will insure their survival.
2)
Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx.. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children.. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly..
45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3..5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
The questions raised: *In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*Do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
3)Analysts: May be hard for Democrats to keep Obama's former Senate seat
Political analysts say it might be an uphill climb for the Democrats to hold onto Barack Obama's former Senate seat in Illinois.
"Democrats right now are in disarray in Illinois," said Russ Stewart, a long-time Illinois political analyst and columnist.
Illinois voters are voting today in the first primary in this year's midterm elections.
There are competitive races in both parties in the senatorial, gubernatorial and several congressional contests. There are also contests for attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer, but precincts reported light turnout Tuesday morning. The weather wasn't helping -- a couple of inches of snow was falling on the Chicago, Illinois, area Tuesday morning.
The Illinois Board of Elections projected turnout among registered voters be in the mid-20 percent range, spokesman Rupert Borgsmiller said.
The last gubernatorial-senate primary in 2006 had 28 percent turnout, when some parts of the state had six inches of snow, he said.
Democratic incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn, who replaced the impeached Rod Blagojevich, is locked in a tough and bitter contest against state comptroller Dan Hynes. Six GOP candidates, including former attorney general Jim Ryan, are vying for that nomination.
A lot of attention is also focused on the senatorial election. Incumbent Sen. Roland Burris, who was touched by the Blagojevich scandal, is not running, and the leading Democratic hopeful decided against getting into the race, so Republicans are hopeful moderate five-term Republican Rep. Mark Kirk may be able to capture the seat previously held by Obama.
"Kirk is a moderate. He certainly would appeal to independent and suburban voters," Stewart said. "The people who were energized for Obama, are disillusioned and disgusted right now. The Democrats are disillusioned with the Democratic hierarchy that runs Illinois so a lot of people say, 'I'm going to vote Republican just as a protest as they did for Scott Brown,' " referring to the Republican who was elected last month in heavily Democratic Massachusetts to fill the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat.
The leading Democratic contenders are state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and former Chicago inspector general David Hoffman. Giannoulias, the front-runner with more name recognition and considered close to Obama, has been attacked by Hoffman because of controversies relating to the bank owned by Giannoulias' family.
Both candidates are trying to convince voters they would be the strongest candidate to go up against Kirk in the general election, and each is emphasizing his independent credentials.
"A lot of people out there are cynical and disheartened and dispirited with their elected officials," Giannoulias told a campaign rally on Sunday. "I can promise you this ... while it will not be an easy campaign I can unequivocally promise you no one, no one will work harder for every day working class families."
Emphasizing his accomplishments of rooting out corruption in the city, Hoffman told voters Monday, "What we need in Washington are people who are actually separated from the insider political system we have."
For his part, Republican Kirk is highlighting his moderate social record and conservative fiscal credentials as he both tries to appeal to Republican primary voters and the broader electorate for the general election.
"I think people are very worried about out of control spending in Washington. Trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see," Kirk told CNN.
Asked about the symbolism of a Republican potentially capturing the seat formerly held by Obama, Kirk said, "I think it would recover our tradition as an independent state. Illinois used to be seen as a swing state, and we used to be very proud of some of the people we elected to office. But right now, especially at the statewide level in Illinois with Roland Burris and Rod Blagojevich, there is a strong wish by independent voters to represent a different choice -- someone who comes from a more suburban tradition than what we have seen."
Kirk so far has not won the support of the more conservative elements of his party, including some Tea Party activists in the state.
Previewing his general election message if he wins the GOP nomination, Kirk says more checks and balances are needed in the state.
"I think no one political party is the source of all wisdom, and no one political party should have all of the power," Kirk said.
4)Jeb Bush is back, and some think he's looking presidential
By Beth Reinhard
When Jeb Bush left office four years ago, his public appearances were as scarce as bi-partisan man hugs.
He didn't want to upstage his successor in the governor's mansion nor his brother in the White House. Instead, he quietly cashed in by joining corporate boards and an elite speakers bureau, penned policy essays and gave infrequent interviews to conservative media.
But in recent months, as the Republican Party of Florida has grappled with a leadership vacuum, Bush's political profile has grown as fast as the national deficit.
He headlined a fundraiser for Bill McCollum's gubernatorial campaign, starred in a YouTube video touting Jeff Atwater's campaign for state chief financial officer and helped install state Sen. John Thrasher as the state party's heir apparent -- all the while looming on the sidelines of the fierce Republican Senate primary between Gov. Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio.
The capper came Thursday when, at the top of the 7 o'clock hour, right after Vice President Joe Biden, Bush made a rare network television appearance on NBC's Today Show. The intensely private Bush's interview with the overly familiar Matt Lauer rattled Florida political circles.
Was this the beginning of a Jeb juggernaut that would culminate in a 2012 presidential bid?
``My wife called me immediately and said he looked presidential,'' said Thrasher, who as the former House speaker helped Bush lay down his agenda. ``I said, `Who knows? We'll see.' I'm ready to go to Iowa any time he's ready.''
Bush's comments about Crist's support for President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan got the most attention, but his call for Democrats and Republicans to work together was the biggest clue to his national ambitions.
``I think that leaders on both sides of the aisle need to figure out where there is common ground and at least focus on that,'' he said. ``It's one thing to give a good speech. The other thing is to invite people that don't agree exactly with your point of view to build consensus.''
This from the governor who presided over some of Florida's most hyper-partisan battles of the last decade? Who helped declare his brother the winner of the 2000 presidential recount, threw out affirmative action with the ``One Florida'' program, made the FCAT the end-all be-all of the public schools and insisted on getting in between brain-damaged Terri Schiavo and her husband?
But Bush's front-page days are long gone. Lady Gaga could learn a thing or two from the ex-governor, who has stayed relevant without killing us with overexposure. He picks and chooses candidates to support and the causes that matter most to him. He recently made a rare appearance in the Capitol to promote education reforms and helped launch a national group to elect Republican state lawmakers.
Though he hasn't given an endorsement, Bush has been an undeniable presence in the Crist-Rubio race. Consider: His well-placed compliments for Rubio and subtle digs at Crist. The involvement of his family's longtime fundraiser, Ann Herberger, in the Rubio campaign. The reception co-hosted by sons George P. and Jeb Jr. that raised $100,000 for Rubio.
If the race goes down to the wire, or if Crist launches a full-scale attack against Rubio, some Republicans predict Bush will speak out.
``If Jeb is going to publicly support Marco, it's better to keep the suspense building and do it closer to the election when voters are paying attention,'' said Rubio supporter Ana Navarro. ``Jeb Bush stumping through Florida for a Republican candidate makes a difference. Jeb Bush knows that. Marco Rubio knows that. And I suspect Charlie Crist fears that.
5)Prez Quixote
By RICH LOWRY
President Obama is a budgetary Don Quixote, with Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag his enabling sidekick Sancho Panza.
Obama has donned his armor and picked up his lance to wage a thoroughly imaginary battle for fiscal restraint. He betrays not the slightest sign that his self-styled brave, tight-fisted responsibility -- slaying wasteful programs and freezing spending all around him -- is all a dream.
"We simply cannot continue to spend as if deficits don't have consequences," Obama said in unveiling a budget with a record $1.6 trillion deficit this year that will be the highest as a share of GDP since World War II.
He warned against treating taxpayer dollars as "monopoly money," even as he proposes a budget of $3.8 trillion, and against ignoring the challenge of the debt "for another generation," even with a $1 trillion deficit pro- jected at the decade's end.
In his "question time" exchange with Republican House members, Obama proved for anyone who might have forgotten that he's whip-smart, unflappable and glib; it's the facts that are his undoing.
Anyone listening to him describe his budget would stock extra foodstuffs in the pantry for the lean times ahead -- and would be shocked to learn that he was speaking of the most extravagant budget in US history. It's a Keynesian blowout wrapped in an Eisenhower-era sensible Republican cloth coat.
National debt will exceed GDP in 2012, a staggering fact. Internationally, we will share that distinction with such fine fiscal company as Iceland, Greece and Italy. Even Brazil, Pakistan and Malawi have a lower debt as a percentage of GDP.
The $4.5 trillion in debt Obama will accumulate in the first two years and eight months of his administration will nearly match the $4.9 trillion of George W. Bush's eight years as president. That's not fair as a straight comparison, because Bush inherited a surplus whereas Obama inherited an ongoing fiscal meltdown. But that doesn't justify making it worse.
Obama isn't the first president to take office amid a deteriorating budgetary picture. So did Bill Clinton in 1992. He responded by jettisoning the $200 billion "investment" program he promised in the campaign and adopting a deficit-reduction program in its stead. His left-wing supporters predicted economic gloom. A decade of rollicking good times ensued.
Obama has taken the opposite tack: spending even more than he promised in the campaign as he inherited spiraling, recession-fueled deficits. The fruit of all the stimulus spending is hard to detect, with unemployment projected to stay above 8 percent into 2012. The robust GDP growth of the fourth quarter had more to do with businesses replenishing their inventories. But he still wants another $100 billion in deficit spending on yet another stimulus program. Whether he's profligate or austere, Obama is always spending more.
One of his favorite riffs is that he is going through the budget "line by line" for savings. This purportedly adds up to $20 billion in savings next year -- about one-fifth of the cost of the new stimulus program and one-fifth of the average monthly deficit last year.
It's not that Obama is utterly incapable of finding savings and revenues. To fund his nearly $1 trillion health-care reform, he's endorsed extensive Medicare cuts and tax increases over 10 years, both of which are supposed to be relatively painless and beneficial to the overall health-care system. Why wouldn't he use them, then, to take a ready bite out of the deficit rather than devote them to a new, fiscally unsustainable entitlement program?
Margaret Thatcher said the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money. Obama may run out of ours while maintaining all the while he's cutting the budget down to size.
6)Obama's chief of staff sorry for 'retarded' remark
President Barack Obama's tart-tongued chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, has apologized for using the word "retarded" to describe liberal activists whose tactics on health care he questioned.
Emanuel made the apology last week in a phone call to Tim Shriver, CEO of the Special Olympics, the White House said Tuesday.
The apology followed a Wall Street Journal account of a private White House meeting involving liberal groups and administration officials. In it, Emanuel reportedly grew exasperated at plans by some groups to run ads against Democratic lawmakers who were balking at Obama's health overhaul.
"The White House remains committed to addressing the concerns and needs of Americans living with disabilities and recognizes that derogatory remarks demean us all," a White House statement said.
Emanuel's call wasn't the first time Shriver got an Obama administration apology. The president himself telephoned in March after telling Jay Leno on the "Tonight Show" how awful his bowling scores were. "It was like the Special Olympics or something," Obama said.
In a posting on her Facebook page Monday, former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin called on Obama to fire Emanuel. Palin, whose son Trig has Down syndrome, said Emanuel's language was "heartbreaking" and a "slur on all God's children."
7)Largest-ever federal payroll to hit 2.15 million
By Stephen Dinan
The era of big government has returned with a vengeance, in the form of the largest federal work force in modern history.
The Obama administration says the government will grow to 2.15 million employees this year, topping 2 million for the first time since President Clinton declared that "the era of big government is over" and joined forces with a Republican-led Congress in the 1990s to pare back the federal work force.
Most of the increases are on the civilian side, which will grow by 153,000 workers, to 1.43 million people, in fiscal 2010.
The expansion could provide more ammunition to those arguing that the government is trying to do too much under President Obama.
"I'm shocked that the 'tea party' hasn't focused on it yet, and the Obama administration only has a thin sliver of time to deal more directly with it, I believe," said Paul C. Light, who studies the federal bureaucracy as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a professor at New York University. "When you talk about big government, you're talking about a big employer."
The new figures are contained in the budget that Mr. Obama sent Monday to Congress.
Mr. Obama says the civilian work force will drop by 80,000 next year, mostly because of a reduction in U.S. census workers added in 2010 but then dropped in 2011 after the national population count is finished. That still leaves 1.35 million civilian federal employees on the payroll in 2011.
From 1981 through 2008, the civilian work force remained at about 1.1 million to 1.2 million, with a low of 1.07 million in 1986 and a high of more than 1.2 million in 1993 and in 2008. In 2009, the number jumped to 1.28 million.
Including both the civilian and defense sectors, the federal government will employ 2.15 million people in 2010 and 2.11 million in 2011, excluding Postal Service workers.
The administration says 79 percent of the increases in recent years are from departments related to the war on terrorism: Justice, Defense, Homeland Security, State and Veterans Affairs.
After years of decline at the end of the Cold War, the Defense Department is restaffing. Mr. Obama estimated that the Pentagon will have 720,000 employees this year and 757,000 employees next year - up from a low of 649,000 in 2003.
The data also show that the Department of Homeland Security will grow by 7,000 a year in 2010 and 2011, and the Veterans Affairs Department will grow by 12,000 in 2010 and an additional 4,000 in 2011.
Peter R. Orszag, Mr. Obama's budget director, also said more people have been hired to oversee outside contracts.
"Over the past eight or nine years, those contracts have doubled in size. The acquisition work force has stayed constant. It's not too hard to figure out that oversight of those contracts has not kept pace with what it should be," Mr. Orszag said.
Even as the total number of federal employees rises, the ratio of employees to Americans has declined steadily, from one employee for every 78 residents in 1953 to one employee for every 110 residents in 1988 to one employee for every 155 residents in 2008.
The federal work force is older than the private-sector work force, which Mr. Light said raises the possibility of reducing the total number through retirements.
About 31 percent of the private work force is 50 or older, while 46 percent of the federal work force is 50 or older.
Mr. Obama is in a situation similar to that of Mr. Clinton, who took office when the budget deficit was at a record high and government bureaucracy was expanding, even though the Pentagon was shedding workers with the end of the Cold War.
Mr. Clinton in 1996 declared that "the era of big government is over" and took steps to work with Congress to control spending and cut the work force, which already had been trending lower.
As he left office in 2000, Mr. Clinton boasted that his administration had helped cut 377,000 government jobs, leaving the smallest civilian federal work force since 1960.
Mr. Obama, though, appears to be accepting a larger federal work force.
The administration has called for federal workers to get a 1.4 percent pay raise next year, which Mr. Orszag said, "frankly, I think to a lot of Americans, sounds pretty good."
The American Federation of Government Employees, the union that represents many government workers, said it was combing through the budget and did not have a comment.
8)Thought you would like this:
The Premier of Newfoundland Danny Wilson had to have cardiac surgery, he went to the United States for his treatment.
Politicians believe that they deserve better health care than they would impose on the rest of the country.
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