McCain's miscalculation

I don't think McCain's gamble with regard to his positioning re: the bailout and improving his poll numbers is or will work. He's getting no help from his Republican friends. Instead of looking like a leader he looks like a posturing politician.

Mad Men

I don't mean the wonderful AMC cable series (though the spinmeisters on that show would be right at home with the spinmeisters in DC) but indeed the clowns in Washington who have put us in this mess and are now scrambling (after denying for months that there was a problem) to find a fix. Frankly when Democrats tried to get relief for mortgage holders who were at risk of going into default, the Bush administration would have none of it. Yet had $700 Billion bent spent either refinancing those mortgages at affordable rates or otherwise supporting them, the mortgage assets that are causing the current crisis would not have to be bailed out now.

The crisis would have been averted and homeowners would not be facing default and the loss of their homes - with all the other serious consequences that is entailing.

Moreover if we weren't spending $12 Billion a month in Iraq combined with foolish tax cuts for the wealthy and the resultant ballooning deficit and debt, the dollar would be stronger, oil would be cheaper and our economy would not be in crisis.

Them's the facts folks. Read em and weep.

Ray Powers passes away

Former Colorado Senate President Ray Powers passed away on Thursday. Ray, a Colorado Springs Republican was certainly a conservative, but was not a wacko. He truly was a decent human being. Interestingly, his wife Dorothy is a Democrat. Thought that must have made for strange conversations at the dinner table.

In addition to being a decent human being, Ray had principles and would not let party affiliation or the 11th commandment get in the way of speaking up for what he believed was right.

I particularly remember a fight he got in to with then Speaker of the House (and also a Colorado Springs Republican) Doug Dean over Dean's double dipping the state for expenses and per diem.

Dean was billing the state for expenses of the apartment he was renting/sharing with another legislator. In addition he was taking the $99 per day per diem. It had always been believed that the per diem was to cover the expenses incurred by legislators who had to stay in Denver from out of town. Dean claimed that it was additional salary. There was a hearing before Legislative Council regarding the matter and Dean got into a shouting match with Powers over the issue. Dean made some accusatory remarks about the fact that Powers was wealthy, could afford a house in Denver and didn't need to worry about the additional income. Powers was incensed and yelled back at Dean that he was sick of Dean's attitude.

There was no love lost there.

I also suspect that Ray, the gentleman, did not approve of Dean's philandering. He was notorious for cheating on his wife, and indeed was involved in a messy incident with a lobbyist with whom he was living (and divorced his wife over) when he broke into her house with a screwdriver.

Ahhh, the good old days.

Ray was a good guy. We could use more like him in both parties.

Welcome

New to blogging but couldn't resist any longer.

Posts here will be random and cover a wide range of topics of interest to me: Politics, the arts (particularly the Theatre and Film), music, ramblings......... Eclectic tastes lead to eclectic posts.