Can't We All Just Get Along???

I've been wondering for quite awhile now, why political issues are so divisive. Do they have to be? I mean candidates seem to focus most of their time and effort towards pointing out what they will do and how disastrous the other person's plan is. Which may or may not be true but in the end it seems that only the group of people who's candidate got elected feel like they get anything out of it.

Why can't we be more diplomatic with each other in our own country? Which is to say why can't we look for common ground rather than focus on where we disagree? Surely we can find some common ground on most if not all issues. Which is what a Lola presidency will work for. It's not about "reaching across the aisle," it's about adjusting perspective and creativity in approaching each and every issue.

Issue One: Global Warming
We get so caught up in which group is right or wrong about whether or not global warming or temperature cycles, is man made. When in reality at the heart of the global warming issue is the environment and being responsible with it. We all can agree that we'd like to breath clean air, and that it's our responsibility to take care of our planet. That said it isn't the responsibility of the U.S. to take care of the entire planet, but we should vigilant to help educate other countries and assist them within reason to help them become environmentally responsible members of this planet. I think we can also agree that using force on other countries for this issue is also unreasonable.

Issue Two: The War
I keep hearing arguments about whether or not we should have gone into Iraq in the first place. The past is the past, we can't change that now. We can argue now about whether or not to pull the troops out immediately or to let them finish their job. But that will just get us mad at each other because we are so hell-bent on being right. In reality I'll bet most of us agree regardless of political leanings that Iraq should be taking on more and more financial responsibility for themselves, for paying the forces we've helped train, for rebuilding their country, and any other expenses they have that we have been or still are paying for. I think we have a vested interest in seeing them be fiscally responsible for themselves and maintaining that in the future so leaving them out to dry isn't in theirs or our best interest either. But they can take on more financial responsibility now and should. I think we can agree on that point.

Issue Three: Oil
We can argue about drilling or not but I think there are 2 points here we can come to an agreement on if we all approach the subject with an open mind. We need to work towards energy independence and stop sending loads of money to the middle east for oil when we could be investing that money into our own economy. 2nd, It's silly that other countries are drilling a mere 60 or 90 miles off of our coast while we just stand there and let them suck what should be our resources out of the ground without any kind of reimbursement for it. From these to points we can start to find solutions that are acceptable to most people again if we will be open minded.

I would say there's a 3rd issue we can agree on, and that is that we don't want to end up paying $5 a gallon or more for gas, but I don't know if that's true or not. Pardon my cynicism.

Issue Four: The Economy
This is such a large topic affected by so many other issues that in order to come to any kind of agreement, it will require everyone to make an effort to read an economics book or two. Take an economics class if you want. My mom said she learned the most and had a better understanding of the economy after her MBA Economics class. She says she had a brilliant teacher who not only cleared things up, but taught her how to think critically about the economy rather than just take the word of every joe schmoe out there touting their agenda. So the agreement we can come to, is that unless we all bother to educate ourselves or get a better understanding about the economy, we will never know how to make our own personal economic situation better. There's no shame in asking questions of people you know that do have a good grasp on economics.

I could keep going but it's time for me to go to the Dog park and campaign. The point is we might ought to change our perspective about how we approach politically charged issues, to work together to find where we agree rather than try and "convert" people to our side. Because if you're so close minded that you think your side is perfect, then how are we ever going to accomplish anything? And if your side really is perfect, how have you not been able to articulate your beliefs in terms that convince everyone you meet to come over to your side?

Meet the First Member of My Cabinet

Meet Zoe E Katz. Kitty extraordinaire. She is going to head up the Department of Veterans Affairs. As Secretary, her main order of business will be to build up a pet therapy programs at all VA Hospitals and all other facilities providing veterans services.

We are both passionate about the healing powers animals bring to the injured, disabled, and distressed whether through participation in physical therapy or just bringing a kiss and companionship.

Zoe is just the cat to put this plan into action and spread it nation wide and world wide to our various military hospitals around the world. She's a no-nonsense kind of gal and won't let bureaucracy get in the way of getting the job done.

I'm very excited about this choice and the work she will accomplish for the heroes fighting and who have fought for this country's freedom.

Thanks For Saying it John Stossel

This isn't the first time I've heard this. Neal Boortz often says it. But maybe not everyone should vote. Here's a link to the video segment of the story John Stossel did on 20/20.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=5985719&page=1 Since more people probably watch John Stossel than listen to Neal Boortz, I'm glad he pointed out the problem with anyone and everyone voting.

In summary it points out the fact that many average people of all ages when randomly asked know little to nothing about our government or politics. And they don't bother to educate themselves before picking a candidate. While Neal Boortz believes certain people shouldn't be allowed to vote (i.e. people receiving welfare, and I'm inclined to agree with that), John Stossel merely points out the fact that maybe it's your civic duty not to vote if you don't bother to read up on the issues and the stand each candidate takes on them and the implications of their position.

No one's asking you to be able to name all 100 senators or all 435 Representative, but you should at least know who your senators are (Mine are John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchinson) and who your representative is (mine is John Carter, the only person that actually bothered to represent me on the bail out bill). Maybe you also ought to bother to learn who's 3rd in line for the presidency. Maybe you ought to have a general understanding of the Constitution. At least look at it once it awhile. Know how to find it so when you hear someone make a claim of constitutionality or unconstitutionality on a particular subject, you can look it up and learn for yourself.

There are many more things I think you ought to have a basic understanding of, like personal responsibility, before voting. But I'm just glad there are people talking about the civic duty NOT to vote.

Food For Thought

Someone sent the following story to me in an email. So you may
have seen it already or maybe not. I don't know if it's a true
story or not, but even in fiction there can be a lesson learned.
It's a metaphor for where they country is headed if we don't do
something about it now.

A chemistry professor in a large college  had some  exchange students in the class.
One day while the class was  in the lab the Professor noticed one young man
(exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his  back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had
a bullet lodged in his back. He had  been shot while fighting communists in his
native country  who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install
a new communist government.

In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question.
He asked, 'Do you know how to  catch wild pigs?'

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch  line. The young man
said this was no joke. 'You catch wild  pigs by finding a suitable place in the
woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come  everyday
to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming  every day, you put a fence down
one side of the place where they are used to coming.

When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn  again and you put up
another side of the fence. They get  used to that and start to eat again. You
continue until you  have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in The last
side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come  through the gate to
eat, you slam the gate on them and catch  the whole herd.

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run  around and around inside
the fence, but they are caught.  Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They
are so used  to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods  for
themselves, so they accept their captivity.

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what  he sees happening to
America . The government keeps pushing  us toward socialism and keeps spreading
the free corn out in  the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit
for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops
(CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs,  etc.. While we  continually lose our freedoms --
just a  little at a time.

Why Aren't We Furious?

When did we as a nation decide it was ok to let our government hijack us and take over? Both candidates had the opportunity to end this campaign by coming out against this bail-out. No one expected Obama to, but McCain, he could have come out against this ridiculous bill and been outspoken against encouraging irresponsibility in this country on a corporate level and on and personal level. This campaign would be over if he had done that. But he didn't. He was too chicken and decided to go with the flow on this one and once again "reach across the aisle." If I hear anymore about "reaching across the isle," I'm going to hack a hair ball. That's not to say they don't need to work together but they aren't supposed to rob us and then try and convince us why it's necessary to take money from us and redistribute it to the irresponsible. On top of that after they pull that off against our will, they keep giving them more money after the fact.

The best thing McCain can say now is that he will stabilize the market by buying back bad mortgages and renegotiating them at fair market value. Well what about the good mortgages that potentially are no longer at "fair market value?" How is that fair to the rest of us. How do I benefit from paying for their "bad mortgages" to be renegotiated while the government (aka you and me) picks up the difference? Why don't you come up with something real that will help the average American? Like the fair tax? You know all about it. That's the most "bipartisan" solution out there and yet you who "reaches across the aisle" can't even publicly suggest this as your tax solution to help the American people.

And yet we joe citizen sit back and do nothing like our hands our tied. Is this what you want America? Do you want the government to take over our banks? Next comes the auto industry, then slowly everything else and before you know it, we are all government employees paying 60%-70% or more in taxes just to support their inefficiency. We better get pissed off. We better not let them take our power away from us. One of the best suggestions I've heard is to vote the incumbent out regardless of party affiliation. Not a bad idea unless the incumbent really has voted consistently in such a way to reduce the size of government and protect the tax payers.

I'd like to suggest starting by voting for me and Riley. If anyone tries to bring up such ridiculous legislation, Riley will show her teeth. If they vote for it she will attack until they change their vote and learn their lesson for the future.

Don't get complacent. You no longer have to choose between the lesser of two evils. Because I'm not evil. I'm tough and firm, and I really will fight for you the tax payer.

Don't Mess With The U.S.A

Being from Texas we have a popular slogan "Don't Mess With Texas." It was developed for a littering campaign and somehow caught on and hasn't gone away.

As President I'd like to take that a few steps further. I don't want other countries messing with or breaching the security of this great country. I don't want anyone messing with legal immigration by coming here or staying here illegally. I don't want anyone messing with or undermining the great pride we have in this country. That said. Free speech is free speech, I don't intend to mess with our freedoms. Just like I don't want anyone messing with, or jeopardizing our freedoms. Freedom of speech. Freedom to choose your religion or to choose not to have one. Freedom to work hard to live the American dream. Freedom to be personally responsible for ourselves and freedom to encourage personal responsibility in others. Freedom to choose your child's education. Freedom to own personal property. Freedom to protect your personal property.

We have all kinds of freedom in this country that people inside and outside of our country try and will continue to try and infringe upon and take from us. Riley and I intend to protect the freedom this country was founded upon and intended for its citizens. We won't hesitate to hold those responsible for attempting to take away our freedom.

Where's the "Thank You" After Robbing Us?

Here's how your representatives either failed you or stuck to their guns.

Luckily my representative stuck to his guns when both of my senators bailed/caved to the corruption of a government high on power. So did Ron Paul. Good for them.

Just know I wouldn't put you tax payers on the hook and try to insult your intelligence by throwing a couple of tax breaks your way. You'd get those tax breaks without being forced to pay $700 Billion against your will. Lola and Riley aren't messing around and won't tolerate that type of economic terrorism.

Oh and don't buy the whole "tax payer investment" rhetoric. You will never ever see any of that money back. You will never get a check in the mail. Even though based on the population of about 300,000,000 people in the United States we should each get at least $2333 back per person. Although that should only go to families that actually pay taxes every year between now and "making that money back." Or should be prorated based on how many of those years those families pay taxes. And we should all get that back with interest. But that's not going to happen. Because they need to fund nationalized health care which by the way they'll still have to raise your taxes to pay for. So a family of 4 that pays taxes every year between now and then would get a check in the mail for at least $9332 plus interest. This is outside of their regular filing.

Have a great weekend because the value of your money is about to take a nose dive. Oh and welcome to the life of Europeans. But that's what 80% of you want right? Because you have no idea what's really going on over there.

How Your Senators Voted

I might consider moving to Kansas, Wyoming, Alabama, Louisiana, or Mississippi since those are the only states where both Senators listened. The "No Votes" are listed in red below. Your representatives will be at it again so don't forget to keep writing or calling.


CALIFORNIA
Barbara Boxer (D) Yes; Dianne Feinstein (D) Yes.
Alabama
Sessions (R) No; Shelby (R) No.
Alaska
Murkowski (R) Yes; Stevens (R) Yes.
Arizona
Kyl (R) Yes; McCain (R) Yes.
Arkansas
Lincoln (D) Yes; Pryor (D) Yes.
Colorado
Allard (R) No; Salazar (D) Yes.
Connecticut
Dodd (D) Yes; Lieberman (I) Yes.
Delaware
Biden (D) Yes; Carper (D) Yes.
Florida
Martinez (R) Yes; Nelson (D) No.
Georgia
Chambliss (R) Yes; Isakson (R) Yes.
Hawaii
Akaka (D) Yes; Inouye (D) Yes.
Idaho
Craig (R) Yes; Crapo (R) No.
Illinois
Durbin (D) Yes; Obama (D) Yes.
Indiana
Bayh (D) Yes; Lugar (R) Yes.
Iowa
Grassley (R) Yes; Harkin (D) Yes.
Kansas Brownback (R) No; Roberts (R) No.
Kentucky
Bunning (R) No; McConnell (R) Yes.
Louisiana
Landrieu (D) No; Vitter (R) No.
Maine
Collins (R) Yes; Snowe (R) Yes.
Maryland
Cardin (D) Yes; Mikulski (D) Yes.
Massachusetts
Kennedy (D) Not Voting; Kerry (D) Yes.
Michigan
Levin (D) Yes; Stabenow (D) No.
Minnesota
Coleman (R) Yes; Klobuchar (D) Yes.
Mississippi
Cochran (R) No; Wicker (R) No.
Missouri
Bond (R) Yes; McCaskill (D) Yes.
Montana
Baucus (D) Yes; Tester (D) No.
Nebraska
Hagel (R) Yes; Nelson (D) Yes.
Nevada
Ensign (R) Yes; Reid (D) Yes.
New Hampshire
Gregg (R) Yes; Sununu (R) Yes.
New Jersey
Lautenberg (D) Yes; Menendez (D) Yes.
New Mexico
Bingaman (D) Yes; Domenici (R) Yes.
New York
Clinton (D) Yes; Schumer (D) Yes.
North Carolina
Burr (R) Yes; Dole (R) No.
North Dakota
Conrad (D) Yes; Dorgan (D) No.
Ohio
Brown (D) Yes; Voinovich (R) Yes.
Oklahoma
Coburn (R) Yes; Inhofe (R) No.
Oregon
Smith (R) Yes; Wyden (D) No.
Pennsylvania
Casey (D) Yes; Specter (R) Yes.
Rhode Island
Reed (D) Yes; Whitehouse (D) Yes.
South Carolina
DeMint (R) No; Graham (R) Yes.
South Dakota
Johnson (D) No; Thune (R) Yes.
Tennessee
Alexander (R) Yes; Corker (R) Yes.
Texas
Cornyn (R) Yes; Hutchison (R) Yes.
Utah
Bennett (R) Yes; Hatch (R) Yes.
Vermont
Leahy (D) Yes; Sanders (I) No.
Virginia
Warner (R) Yes; Webb (D) Yes.
Washington
Cantwell (D) No; Murray (D) Yes.
West Virginia
Byrd (D) Yes; Rockefeller (D) Yes.
Wisconsin
Feingold (D) No; Kohl (D) Yes.
Wyoming
Barrasso (R) No; Enzi (R) No.

If you're interested how your Representatives voted on Monday, it's too big to print here.