Tuesday Thoughts
THERE IS A SPECIAL election in Massachusetts next Tuesday to fill the vacant seat once held by the late Senator Kennedy. Massachusetts, you are thinking, such a blue state, the Republican stands no chance. Well, maybe this time, he does.
The GOP candidate is State Senator Scott Brown, a Lt Col in the National Guard, who is doing incredible things. Yesterday, he held a web-based fundraiser with a goal of raising $500,ooo in one day. He raised over $1 million. He had a debate last night with his opponent where he hit one out of the park, Ronald Reagan style, when asked by moderator David Gergen about his opposition to Obamacare. Gergen asked if he would vote no when holding ” Kennedy’s seat “, blocking Kennedy’s dream bill. Brown replied, ” With all due respect, this is not Kennedy’s seat, it’s not the Democrat’s seat, it is the people’s seat.” Meanwhile, his opponent, Martha Coakley, informed the audience that she was for pulling out of Afghanistan because there were no more terrorists there. You can see the video on the Drudge Report. It’s very good.
Polls are conflicting, but the Democrat Senate Campaign Committee announced today that they are spending $567,000 more on TV ads against Brown, many of which contain references tying Scott to Bush, Cheney, Sarah and Rush. They are nervous, because if Brown wins, bye bye Obamacare. BTW, the President has no plans, according to the White House, of campaigning for Coakley. I wonder why?
I know many of you are hurting financially, but if you can spare a donation, of any size, go to http://www.brownforussenate.org and help today. It could make a difference. Imagine waking up next Wednesday and reading that Scott Brown has been elected to the Senate from Massachusetts and will hold the seat once held by Teddy Kennedy.
NEWSWEEK HAS AN interview with the wife of the Jordanian suicide bomber who killed those CIA agents in Afghanistan. She has no regrets that he left her a widow with two young daughters to raise and is supportive of her husband’s decision. By the way, he was a medical doctor and she is a journalist and they met in an internet chat room. Why do some continue to believe the myth that the Islamic radicals that threaten us are the poor and dispossessed?
MAUREEN DOWD, liberal journalist, has been deeply critical of Obama ever since Flight 253. Has Obama reached a tipping point with her, and is this a sign that even the Left is tiring of him?
THE DECEMBER jobs report brings two items of bad news. Job loss was 85,000, but even more important, the labor force, those looking for work, shrank by 700,000 from November. According to James Pethokoukis, economist for Reuters, and a good friend, had the work force stayed stable, our unemployment rate would be 10.4%, and if it had stayed stable since August, the rate would be 11%. In addition, the average duration of unemployment rose to a record 29 weeks. He notes that if and as the economy improves, many of those who have dropped out of the workforce may reenter looking for work, meaning a higher unemployment rate in an improving economy.
A NEW CBS NEWS poll showed Monday that public support for Obamacare has dropped to new levels. Just 36% approve of Obama’s handling of health care, 54% disapprove.
OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE session opened yesterday with talk by the governor and Democratic leaders of raising taxes. We’ll hear more details by the governor today in her State of the State address, but I cannot believe they are really ready to raise taxes in this economy. If they do, and if the Republicans have half a brain, and know how to use this gift being handed to them, it could be a fun, entertaining and meaningful campaign season.
I UNDERSTAND through the grapevine that Snohomish County Councilman John Koster, a long time good friend, is going to announce tomorrow that he is a candidate for Congress in the Second Congressional District. John will make a great Congressman, and if anyone is looking for a campaign to help, here it is. God bless you John, go get ‘em.
18 Responses to “Tuesday Thoughts”
-
-
Linda says:
Fox Cable News says that the unemployment rate of 10.4% is only counting folks who are getting “unemployment checks”. If you count all the people who have run out of unemployment and and are now on welfare, all the people who were not working in 10/2008, have been looking, but can’t find a job—the UNEMPLOYMENT REAL RATE IS ABOUT 17%—some estimates even proclaim it to be 20%.
Once again the public has been given the “Government Spin” on the figures.
Governor G says that if we don’t vote to raise taxes, the state will have to cut off unemployment to those who cannot find work, but with more taxes the state can pass another extension of benefits. All of these people will eventually lose their houses back to the bank—-they can on only hold out so long on their savings and 401Ks. As hard as this is for me to say, the state needs to cut State and County salaries by 10%, and also teacher’s salaries. This will help balance the budget and protect the unemployed from going on Welfare. Eventually the job situation will turn around—–it’s just a matter of time. VOTE FOR ANY CANDIDATE WHO SUPPORTS THE CONSTITUTION, AND WHO IS FOR CUTTING STATE AND COUNTY WORKER’S SALARIES!
-
The state can’t cut county and teacher salaries, only local officials could do that, but, Linda, you are right on target for one of the problems with the budget. State employment grows, while the private sector doesn’t, or falls at a much smaller rate. The government unemploymeny rate is about 1/4 – 1/3 that of the private sector, and in Washington State, the average public sector salary is nearly $20,000 higher than the average private sector salary. Our state government lacks, especially at the executive level, private sector experience, hence understanding of the real world. Uncontrolled government spending ( up 33% in four years ) helped get us into this mess, it won’t get us out.
-
-
Shannon says:
Gregoire says she wants more jobs, but her only plan is to pass out credits to certain businesses who hire someone next year. If she really wants more jobs, she should cut regulations and taxes and let business flourish.
-
Thank you so much for staying up to date to let us know what is going on!! Thank you Kirby!!! Hoping a very SMART radio station will make you a good offer so that you will stay local!!!
-
Bethany says:
I’ve never made a political donation before in my life but just donated funds to Scott and we’re not even remotely from Massachusetts! I also informed all of my relatives about this situation and encouraged them to contribute to Scott’s campaign, as well. Hopefully, this will spark additional support for this worthy cause. Our support for Scott is a direct reflection of our anger about Health Care Reform, reckless spending by Congress & the mismanagement of how we defend our country from enemies.
-
Thank you Bethany, it’s an investment well worth making. The return could be a political earthquake that will signal the beginning of the end for Obamaism.
-
-
Jerry from Buckley says:
Kirby, remember a year ago when you told me to call you back and that the econnomy would be recovering by now and I said it would be more like we would be heading for a depression? Well, next year looks to be more dismal than last all thanks to Obama and Cloward Piven Strategy! Wish I didn’t have to say, here it comes, “I Told You So’!
Jerry from Buckley-
Jerry, I don’t ever recall saying that the economy would drastically improve in a year, but it has certainly bottomed out, however temporaily, in some sectors, with the market back up 20% the past year, but the horizon is very cloudy with storm clouds brewing.
-
-
john vasko says:
see today’s WSJ on the support of Zero’s health care bill by Big Pharma and Big Health care entities ( the Blues, Humana, others).
Sycophants. -
Ken Mortland says:
Linda: Meaning no disrespect, but the state lacks the authority to cut county salaries or teachers’ salaries. The state does not pay those salaries. The state may cut funds sent to counties and school districts, but it may not specify what cuts the counties or districts have to make.
A more appropriate message would be to ask county employees and teachers to accept a 10% reduction in pay. There is a state law that allows those reductions in pay, if the cause is a fiscal crisis at the state level.
-
Philip Morgan says:
With regard to our (someone’s) state legislature; ai do not know if it is still on the table, but they were thinking of placing a dollar per barrel tax on refineries. Simple math will show you the impact on a refinery. Conoco/Phillips (in Ferndale), processes about 100,000 barrels per day. $1 X 100,000 X 365 days = $36.5 Million per year! What kind of impact do you think that will make on the refinery?! There go a whole bunch of improvements and the jobs they create. That’s potentially over 300 jobs.
This is your government at work; they need some serious time on the psychiatrist’s couch.
Do they really hate big oil that much?-
No Phil, they are just ignorant of the basic laws of economics, how the private sector works, and they are fountains of all wisdoma nd intelligence in their own minds.
-
-
Martel says:
I am up in Arlington and we need good guys like John Koster in Congress…But we also need his replacement here at home. I hope somebody will step up.
Also, regarding Maureen Dowd: I was pretty young back then, but I seem to remember the press turning on Jimmie Carter as be bumbled himself around the Whitehouse wrapped up in his sweater.
There’s been alot of talk lately about O’Bama looking to be as bad as Carter, and I wonder if we are now seeing the press turn on him.
I mean, they are pirhana aren’t they? Don’t you think that even they are beginning to smell blood?
It’s always been my opinion that the press are more “pirhana” than they are liberal!
-
Kirby: You’re probably right on the slow reaction of state employment to respond to the recession by cutting jobs. The state is usually behind the curve, when it comes to reaction to new economic conditions. You will likely find that the state is also slow to increase hiring or pay after the recovery. In all, the state simply doesn’t react as quickly to economic conditions as does the private sector and it probably never will.
-
Martel: You are the first conservative I’ve read who seems to think the media is more piranha than liberal. I, for one, think you’re onto something here. And as piranha, they don’t attack until they smell blood in the water. Which would mean they would be relatively silent on issues we might otherwise wish they would attack, because they don’t sense the blood yet.
Interesting concept; worthy of more development.
Arthur 
John Koster is an awesome guy! I sent him an email last year saying he should run. He is logical for the seat. A great conservative, a Christian, a man who came up through the ranks, so to speak. Yoohoo! I going to contribute to him as soon as possible.