1. Did he/she support renaming “french fries” to “freedom fries”?

2. Does  he/she refer to the Koch brothers by their first name?

3. Does he/she wear a little american flag pin EVERY DAY?

4. Did he/she mysteriously become a millionaire after starting their tenure with Congress?

5. Does he/she wear a cashmere v-neck sweater without sleeves EVER?

6. Does he/she think that God and/or Jesus think the U.S. of A. is somehow “special”?

7. Does he/she think God and/or Jesus thinks that he/she are “special”?

8. Are they getting a tad over-the-hill?  Do they shuffle and blather like John McCain did when Obama went Christmas shopping?

9. Do they truly believe the corporations are people?

10.  Did they support Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachmann?

If any of the above are true, you are in trouble.  Time for a new representative.

James Wilson

With the HTV-2, DARPA and its partners, including the Air Force and Lockheed Martin, were attempting to advance a technology that has captured the imagination of aerospace engineers since the 1960s. Hypersonic flight, that is flight powered by air-breathing engines at greater than five times the speed of sound, could enable airplanes to cross the United States in minutes rather than hours, to jet from one side of the globe to the other and back on the same day.

The Hypersonic Test Vehicle-2 (pictured above), is supposed to (eventually) fly at MACH 20, 20 times faster than most current jets.  The rational for needing such a thing?  So we deliver bombs to anywhere in the world within 1 hour.  Now their’s a noble and necessary cause.

So far the HTV-2  has had two real unmanned test flights, both ending in crashes and costing us tax payers about $320 million.   That could feed a lot of starving families.

Here’s a theory: S&P had lost a lot of credibility recently because the backed and provided high ratings for the toxic financial instruments that recently blew up our economy: the “derivatives” we’ve been hearing so much about. Note that McGraw took a stock nosedive in 2008. The S$P “division” had damage control to do. They contribute revenue to a corporation, JUST LIKE ANY FOR PROFIT CORPORATION IN AMERICA. What better way to get in the news than to downgrade the United States? Brilliant marketing move boys! They sure are making news now!

Email from a S&P employee:

“God forgive our f***ing scam.  This has to be the worst place I’ve ever worked at.”

Hmmm. I wonder what scam that would be?

In spite of some obvious weaknesses, one thing Obama is, is smart: I have to believe he has a strategy in mind. None of us (except a few psychics here and there) can read the mind of the White-house, but here’s one guess as to how Obama likely thinks (hopes) things will go:

1. He knows the “Super Congress” will fail. 6 republicans and 6 democrats will never agree on anything, let alone something as important as the issues at stake. McConnell has already said he won’t appoint anyone from the republican side that will budge even an inch on adding revenue through taxes.

2. With the failure of the “Super Congress”, the debt debate will then transfer to Congress. In theory, the $1.5 trillion that needs to be cut will come out of the hides equally from defense and from domestic programs (except social security, Medicare, and Medicaid).

3. As the 2012 election approaches, the Republicans will continue to alienate themselves from independents and moderate republicans by refusing to raise taxes on the rich and refusing to raise any additional revenue by closing corporate tax loopholes. Once again the GOP will fly in the face of popular opinion (as shown in the polls), even when raising taxes is supported within their own party! Thus, some political advantage will stack up on the Obama side in the 2012 elections.

4. Obama has one big ACE in his pocket: the Bush Tax Cuts are due to expire at the end of 2011. He can threaten to veto any attempts to prolong these cuts.

5. Most of the political debate (and thus media exposure) in 2012 will then be focused on the whole revenue issue (instead of the debt side) where Obama clearly has the advantage and the popular support of the people. This will also serve to take the focus off of the miserable economy.

6. With any luck, the Democrats will regain control of the House, the Senate, and also reelect Obama.

7. With a majority in the Senate, House, and the Obama as president, Democrats can easily control any kamikaze shenanigans from the Tea Party, and the Republicans in general. They can then make sensible adjustments to both spending cuts as well as adjustments to the tax code and implement an equitable tax contribution by all Americans.

8.  Once increased revenue becomes part of the equation, Obama will no longer have his hands tied re spending, so can begin to implement sensible job programs, such as unemployment extensions, public work programs, and other methods proven to boost a weak economy.  What is needed now (but unlikely under the shadow of the whole debt-ceiling deal) is an infusion of cash, not a reduction.  But it may be until early 2013 until the political environment will allow such programs.  Let’s all hope it isn’t too late.

Presenting, the "Power Elite", a.k.a. the Republican Party. They only represent about 2% of the honest-to-God interests of the people in the U.S.

The "rich elite" perform some kind of magic here.

The "magic" influences 51% or more of the Voters. Perhaps it's the influx of special interest money?

$1 Gazillion of special interest money can buy a lot of TV time!

Which results in this map of the 2010 election. Magically, the interest of about 2% of our population turns into 51% of the popular vote!

I don’t know about you, but I can’t believe that 49% of Americans are that gullible (%51 – 2% of the rich and famous).  For the past few years, Republicans have made no bones about where their loyalties lye;  directly at the feet of corporations and the very rich of this country.  Exhibit A: during our manufactured “debt limit crisis”, they held congress hostage on such issues as: “should corporate jet owners continue to get tax subsidies?”.   Exibit B: they would rather see our middle class crash and burn than to increase taxes on the very rich.  How transparent is that!   I don’t care if you’re an Okie From Muskogeeby, it has to be pretty clear that the Republican party no longer gives a rat’s ass about anybody making less than $250,000.   In fact, let’s face it, they HATE YOU if you are earning below that amount.  You are no good to them.  You are a waste of their time.  You are a drain on our society and if they had their way they would dispose of you.  What else would explain why they are trying to bust unions, undermine social safety nets such as social security and medicare,  get rid of any kind of free or subsidized medical care,  deep 6 public transportation projects,  trash  the quality of our air and water?  The answer is simple: it’s because if you make more than $250,000 a year, the absence of any of these things will not effect you.  If you make less than that, you are a failure, and thus deserve to suffer.

So, I pose this question to republicans making less than $250k, why do you vote for these guys?

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However this is just the beginning.  Forming in September, the next round of $1.5 trillion in cuts would be decided by a committee of 12 lawmakers evenly divided between the two parties and two chambers. This so-called “super Congress” would have to present its cuts by Thanksgiving, and the rest of Congress could not amend or filibuster the recommendations.

BUT:  if the super Congress somehow failed to enact savings, the measure requires automatic cuts worth at least $1.2 trillion. Those cuts would be split equally between military and domestic programs. Social Security, Medicaid and programs for the poor would be spared, but Medicare providers — not beneficiaries — would take a hit.

Let’s face it, this is nothing but a “Super Cop-out”.  Based on what we saw over these last few months, why should we think that this “Super Congress”  will get ANYTHING  done?  6 Republicans and 6 Democrats agreeing on how to cut spending?  Get real.  Boehner already said he will not appoint anyone for this committee that is pro tax (er, I mean “revenue”).  Obama still thinks he can get some tax revenue.  No way.  So, let’s just go ahead and ASSUME they will resume their infantile bickering and  fail.   Then, “Plan B” goes into effect.

Plan B will gut domestic spending -  read: minimal spending/investment in our infrastructure (dams, levees, etc.), government oversight of industry (i.e., Wall Street and their corporate friends that love to pollute),  and anything else that has to do with maintaining our life support system (i.e., Earth).

So who gets the real hit?  Once again, our Mother Earth takes it on the chin.  Goodbye life support system, you’ve been great.

One has to wonder how legal this thing is anyway?  The congress forms a forth branch of government to make decisions because our legislative branch is incapable of doing so?   So our representatives can go home to their constituents and say “hey, it’s them, the committee, not me making these unpopular choices”.    Our founding fathers have to be spinning in their graves (or laughing their asses off).  Can anyone say “dysfunction”?