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If you are a fan of either the New Orleans Saints or the Indianapolis Colts Sunday’s forty-fourth Superbowl undoubtedly had special meaning for you. Likewise if you are simply a big fan of professional sports the annual premiere pigskin competition gets your undivided attention. But as the case goes for most activities these days there are many ways to analyze this year’s football finale.

Certain aspects of the event receive the lion’s share of attention each year. From the half time entertainment to the big bucks offerings from commercials during the broadcast to commentary on the ‘elites’ on the field or those occupying spectator seating at the venue. But this year presented the almost obligatory injection of politics into the fray.

Move over Janet Jackson your wardrobe malfunction may no longer occupy first place for the absurd at a Superbowl. Fortunately there was no such problem with delivering the National Anthem. And Carrie Underwood’s performance of the Star-Spangled Banner eclipsed The Who’s halftime performance as well as finding the singer’s wardrobe choice a refreshing change of pace. But that’s not the politics. It is part of the usual appraisal.

In the run up to the event news reports or op-eds and other commentary raised an issue for some liberals about the planned advertising spot from Tim Tebow and his mother. Libs of course suggested there should be no political advertising during a sporting event. Their concern was the growing public sentiment against abortion. The ad was described as the Tebow pair presenting the fact that a difficult pregnancy was not aborted and the child born grew up to be a very successful quarterback.

If you saw the ad on Sunday you may be surprised at the uproar from the libs. It was well done and the libs probably raised more attention to it than if they had just let it be. But then liberals are nothing if not neurotic.

So if you want to raise a political issue with the Superbowl how about this? Courtesy of VOA News an opening paragraph from one article on Superbowl 44.

Just four years after Hurricane Katrina decimated the city of New Orleans, the Saints are the champions of the National Football League. The New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, Sunday night in Super Bowl XLIV.

And in the same article this statement:

Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who has dedicated himself to helping both the Saints and city of New Orleans recover from 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, was named the game’s most valuable player.

An otherwise interesting additional article from VOA News examining the possibility of this Superbowl being a ‘classic’ also included something of a political reference.

A victory for the Saints would complete the resurrection of the franchise, which finished 3-13 the season before Drew Brees came to New Orleans. It would also go a long way toward instilling pride in a city still working toward recovering from the horror and devastation of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Saints head coach Sean Payton says the team has a special relationship with the people of New Orleans.

“This is a city that really has been very close to this team through a lot of hard times. And after Katrina, when the Saints were able to get back and play in the Superdome there was certainly some symbolism that evening. I think playing good football and giving them something to be proud of is important,” he said.

The game has special meaning for Peyton Manning as well. He grew up in New Orleans, where his father Archie quarterbacked the Saints during 10 losing seasons.

There were more relevant references to NOLA that could have been made but the point is they were unnecessary. Anyone with a brain can make the connections without urging from the media. And if you are going to make an emotional case for a sad situation at least have the common courtesy to present a balanced appraisal. Like most of NOLA’s troubles are of their own making or neglect.

One title in news reports suggested someone might be making the case for balance.

Not everyone is happy for the Saints

It was really no shocker to find a sports report suggesting others in the sporting world may be unhappy with Sunday’s outcome. And in the opening the author wondered upon arriving in NOLA if he would observe a population hung over the Superbowl XLIV or ‘revving up’ for Mardi Gras then expecting both.

And President Obama hosted a Superbowl party in a week when he has renewed talk about bipartisanship in the wake of the failure of his flagship agenda item, ‘health’ reform. The lone member of the GOP invited was Joseph Cao of the LA-2 which includes most of NOLA.

It had nothing to do with the game or NOLA but a down payment on the purchase of Cao’s vote for the Demcare. Cao was the only Republican in the House to vote for it based on promises of help for NOLA from President Obama.

The point here is enough already with the wailing and gnashing of teeth about NOLA or Katrina. For about three hundred years the city has been below sea level. There is an abundance of reference material available to demonstrate the repeated failures of public officials and private interests to adequately deal with Katrina-like vulnerabilities for years. Some of that information is on this site and at this blog.

The final word on New Orleans and Katrina is get over it. Stop blaming others for problems of your own doing.

Once again the economic media darlings weigh in. Paul Krugman deserves his lefty description. This is a man who would be a natural for NASCAR; circular motion always moving to the left. And like NASCAR races, each lap is a repeat.

In a column of his last week, Fiscal Scare Tactics, Krugman makes his case with something as appealing to liberals as bashing Bush. That is, bashing Bush. When they’re not bashing Bush they’re bashing Bush or something about Bush.

So why the sudden ubiquity of deficit scare stories? It isn’t being driven by any actual news. It has been obvious for at least a year that the U.S. government would face an extended period of large deficits, and projections of those deficits haven’t changed much since last summer. Yet the drumbeat of dire fiscal warnings has grown vastly louder.

To me — and I’m not alone in this — the sudden outbreak of deficit hysteria brings back memories of the groupthink that took hold during the run-up to the Iraq war. Now, as then, dubious allegations, not backed by hard evidence, are being reported as if they have been established beyond a shadow of a doubt. Now, as then, much of the political and media establishments have bought into the notion that we must take drastic action quickly, even though there hasn’t been any new information to justify this sudden urgency. Now, as then, those who challenge the prevailing narrative, no matter how strong their case and no matter how solid their background, are being marginalized.

‘…even though there hasn’t been any new information to justify this sudden urgency’ is exactly the point, Mr. Krugman. For all the disdain elites and political power brokers have for ordinary citizens my fellow ‘commoners’ and I do understand clearly at least one element of this topic.

The following are some things that increase and rarely, if ever, decrease.

-The US national debt
-The US budget deficit
-Taxes
-the size of government
-the pay for those in government including elected representatives
-entitlements
-those receiving entitlements
-legislation that spends taxpayer dollars
-the amount of money borrowed by the government
And did I mention taxes?

Mr Krugman: Continuing to spend money we don’t have is a bad idea. And yes, it is an idea that is not new. That’s the problem. Not like their should be a learning curve on this issue. Spending what you don’t have is what caused much of our current problems. And the agenda(s) being pushed in DC are tantamount to the Madoff ponzi scheme.

Obama-speak, et al (translation): We are taking more of your money (tax dollars) to spend on things we want that will benefit you in the long run.

Like I said, a ponzi scheme to rival Madoff. And where is he currently residing?

And from another media darling comes the following:

This being a democracy, don’t the Democrats see that clinging to this agenda will march them over a cliff? Don’t they understand Massachusetts?

Well, they understand it through a prism of two cherished axioms: (1) The people are stupid and (2) Republicans are bad. Result? The dim, led by the malicious, vote incorrectly.

Liberal expressions of disdain for the intelligence and emotional maturity of the electorate have been, post-Massachusetts, remarkably unguarded. New York Times columnist Charles Blow chided Obama for not understanding the necessity of speaking “in the plain words of plain folks,” because the people are “suspicious of complexity.” Counseled Blow: “The next time he gives a speech, someone should tap him on the ankle and say, ‘Mr. President, we’re down here.’ “

A Time magazine blogger was even more blunt about the ankle-dwelling mob, explaining that we are “a nation of dodos” that is “too dumb to thrive.”

The key ‘economic’ word here being ‘agenda.’ And the attitude of those now governing toward those being governed is as much a part of an economic discussion as anything else. Since it is the dollars of those governed that those now governing plan tu use for their agenda. And the problem is, to pay for it, requires borrowing into the next millennium and continuing to pay for it long after that.

This is why liberals bashing the Tea Party citizens is an idea as bankrupt as their agenda. There is a piece at the Boston Herald from a ‘fellow’ at the Heritage Foundation that should make Mr Krugman cringe.

If spending jumps $12,000 per household, taxes must eventually rise. The president would make a large down payment on that with a $2 trillion tax hike on all Americans. Yet that would still leave the government running up $8.5 trillion in deficits over the decade, setting the stage for even larger and more damaging broad-based tax hikes later.

Ominously, economists close to the White House suggest that a value-added tax of 15 percent and 20 percent is eventually possible to finance Obama’s agenda.

By doubling the national debt over pre-recession levels, he’d push America toward a tipping point - where rising debt levels will become too large for global capital markets to absorb. This could trigger a financial crisis, an interest-rate spike and tax hikes.

And it still comes down to that nothing new concept Mr Krugman alluded to in his column. We cannot continue to spend what we don’t have. Everyone can understand that.

And to couple another item with Mr Krauthammers’ commentary comes the following brief item Charles Hurt at the NY Post. In a small amount of space Mr Hurt condenses the sanity of tea party nation those plain words for plain folks like us, down here, near the voting booth.

These people have come from all across the nation for the first National Tea Party Convention to denounce not just President Obama and the Democrats, but Republicans and all of Washington for getting infected with the same voracious and parasitic plague spawned by big-government liberalism.

Read the rest, it won’t take long and anyone can understand it. Even those lowly voters who have the audacity to raise a loud voice in opposition to leaders with a hearing problem.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

The past year has seen several dynasties reassert their dominance in U.S. sports. In this look back at 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Yankees and top college teams added more trophies to their collections.

The Pittsburgh Steelers made history when they won last February’s National Football League Super Bowl game played in Tampa, Florida. Their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals gave the Steelers a record sixth Super Bowl championship, one more than the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have won in the 43 seasons the game has been played.

Pittsburgh had finished the regular season with the second best record in the AFC at 12-4 while the Cardinals squeaked into the post-season from the NFC at 9-7.

The Cardinals looked on the verge of winning their first Super Bowl title when Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger organized a drive capped by a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes to win the game in the waning seconds.

Steelers’ coach Mike Tomlin said after the win that his team was prepared for whatever the Cardinals threw at them.

“So many times, football teams get caught up with the game not unfolding the way they envisioned it unfolding,” Tomlin said. “Or the way the media tells them it is going to unfold leading to the football game. We go into games with no preconceived notions.”

Gators clinch another title

In U.S. college football, the University of Florida Gators won the title for the second year in a row and the fourth since 1996 when they beat Oklahoma in the Bowl Championship Series game January 9.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow completed 18 of 30 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns in the 24-14 victory. The Gators were 13-1 for the season, with only a loss to Mississippi preventing them from going undefeated.

Carolina wins another NCAA crown

In college basketball, the University of North Carolina won its fifth NCAA men’s Division One title by beating Michigan State, 89-72, in Detroit. The win was UNC Coach Roy Williams’ second national crown in five seasons at the university he attended as a student.

“Winning the second national championship for our Alma Mater is even sweeter,” Williams said. “They [the players] have been on a magical run and, as I said last night, they took me for a fantastic ride.”

U Conn trounces Louisville in Women’s NCAA finals

In women’s college basketball, the University of Connecticut went undefeated (39-0) and won the NCAA title with a 76-54 win over Louisville. The victory gave Huskies’ coach Geno Auriemma his sixth national title and his fifth since 2000.

Auriemma said he was glad he did not have to face the disappointment of losing after his team played so well during the regular season and the tournament.

“These kids deserve it, even if I don’t, which I don’t care if I do or not. But all I kept thinking about was ‘Man, I do not want to get up tomorrow morning with that feeling,’” he said.

Meanwhile, Pat Summit, the University of Tennessee women’s coach, won her 1,000th victory in 2009. In 35 seasons in Knoxville, Summit has amassed 1,005 wins, eight national titles and 14 Southeast Conference titles.

Lakers capture 15th title

In National Basketball Association play, the Los Angeles Lakers captured their 15th title in 2009, beating the Orlando Magic in the best-of-seven finals in five games. The Lakers’ win gave Coach Phil Jackson his 10th NBA title, including four with Los Angeles and six with the Chicago Bulls. Jackson said his players deserved all the credit.

“I’ve always felt as a coach that you have to push your team,” Jackson said. “And they pushed themselves and I really feel strongly that this is about them. However, having won 10 championships is a remarkable accomplishment, there’s no doubt about it.”

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant took home his fourth NBA crown and was voted the finals Most Valuable Player. Bryant said winning his first title without former teammate Shaquille O’Neal was a great relief.

“It felt like a big-ole monkey was off my back,” Bryant said. “It just felt so good to be able to have this moment. You know for this moment to finally be here and to reflect back on the series and the season and everything that you’ve been through, - it’s top of the list, man.”

Basketball Hall of Fame inducts Jordan

One of the men who contributed to Phil Jackson reaching his milestone - former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan - was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Jordan said at his induction ceremony that he loves basketball, and his love for the game propelled him to his amazing career achievements.

“I don’t look at this moment as the defining end to my relationship with the game of basketball,” Jordan said. “It is simply a continuation of something I started a long time ago. One day you might look up and see me playing the game at 50, because limits like fears are often just an illusion.”

In other honors, Cleveland Cavaliers guard LeBron James was named the regular season Most Valuable Player for 2009.

Yankees win world series

In Major League Baseball, the year started poorly for Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees. Before spring training, Rodriguez admitted to using steroids while he played with the Texas Rangers in 2001-2003. Then a hip injury hindered the Yankees’ third baseman, but later he would emerge as one of the team’s leaders.

The Yankees won their 27th World Series title in November with a four games to two win over the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies. The title came in the first year of the Yankees’ new $1.6 billion ballpark.

Japan’s Hideki Matsui was voted the Series’ Most Valuable Player after he hit .615 (8 for 13) with three home runs and eight runs batted in (RBI), including a World Series record-tying 6-RBI performance in Game 6. He then became a free agent, and after seven years with the Yankees signed with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Yankees’ cross-town rivals, the New York Mets, also opened a new ballpark in 2009, the $900 million Citi Field.

Buehrle pitches perfect game

Elsewhere in the Major Leagues, Chicago White Sox left-handed pitcher Mark Buehrle threw the 18th perfect game in Major League history against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 23. Buehrle threw 116 pitches and had six strike outs in the 5-0 victory, the first perfect game since Randy Johnson threw one for Arizona in 2004.

The Chicago left hander said that he had a tough time grasping the significance of his achievement.

“Any time your name gets up there with some of the greats in the game, it obviously means a lot,” Buehrle admitted. “I think it’s another thing when you sit back and retire and you see how many perfect games have been thrown in history and your name is in there, I think that’s when I will sit back and kind of be surprised.”

Penguins win NHL title

The Pittsburgh Penguins won the National (ice) Hockey League title by beating perennial favorites the Detroit Red Wings in seven games. Sidney Crosby led the Penguins with 15 playoff goals, even though he had to sit out most of the deciding game with a knee injury. It was the Penguins’ third Stanley Cup and their first since 1992.

In U.S. auto racing, stock car driver Jimmie Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Car Championship for a record fourth straight year. At the Indy 500 race in May, Helio Castroneves of Brazil took the checkered flag for the third time in his career, just weeks after a jury had cleared him of U.S. tax evasion charges.

No triple crown winner

In U.S. horse racing, there was no Triple Crown winner - again. Jockey Calvin Borel rode two of the three Triple Crown champions, but missed a personal Triple Crown at the Belmont.

Aboard 50-1 long shot “Mine That Bird,” Borel won the Kentucky Derby May second.

Tom Dirkin shared the amazement of others watching the race as Borel rode to victory.

“Mine That Bird has come now to take the lead as they come down to the finish. And a spectacular upset! Mine That Bird has won the Kentucky Derby. An impossible result here!” the announcer exclaimed.

Borel then made the unprecedented move of changing mounts to ride “Rachel Alexandra” to the Preakness title two weeks later. However, in June’s Belmont Stakes, Borel missed a personal Triple Crown when “Summer Bird” won the New York race.

Untimely deaths

Tragedy also marked the past year in U.S. sports, as 22-year-old Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart died in a car crash April 9, just hours after he threw six scoreless innings against the Oakland A’s.

Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair was killed in a bizarre murder-suicide in July. The 36-year-old McNair was found dead in his apartment next to the body of his alleged mistress.

Former Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly also died in 2009. The 78-year-old Daly led Detroit to two NBA titles and coached the 1992 U.S. Olympic men’s “Dream Team” in Barcelona.

Other deaths of note in 2009 included Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, former Boston Red Sox outfielder Dom DiMaggio and Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas.

The past year brought the first decade of the new millennium to a close with several long-time champions reasserting themselves. As the so-called 20-aughts (years with zeros) end, the Yankees, Lakers, Steelers and other perennial powers hope to continue their tradition of winning.

for more Upbeat Conservative News, click here

Could it be that foreign carmakers are developing an Achilles heel? No doubt American automakers have taken it on the chin for some time. And much of that is their own doing. But with the advent of Government Motors courtesy of the Obama administration and other related developments one thing seems clear.

Ford Motor Company has faired better than its American competitors. For a review of current accomplishments of note beyond not taking a government bailout check these links on the Ford story.

Ford Market Share and Sales Increase

Ford F-Series Does It Again

Ford Sweeps Awards

Ford Wins Technology Award

2011 Ford Focus Debuts

They may not be killer but then they’re not being killed either. Can you say that about GM or Chrysler? No.

So what can be said about the recent Toyota debacle stemming from ‘foot feeds’ from CTS? While it is causing a serious setback for Toyota it would seem Ford has limited exposure.

Ford Suspends Assembly of Van in China Over CTS Pedal

CTS-built pedal assemblies were used in 1,663 Transit Classic vans made by the [Ford] venture with Jiangling Motors Corp. in Nanchang, China, said Said Deep, a spokesman for Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford. The venture began using the CTS part in December for the vans, which are sold only in China, he said today in an interview.

GM, Ford, Chrysler, Hyundai and probably others are offering incentives to lure Toyota customers to their products. It likely won’t do much for GM and Chrysler but for Ford it may be all upside.

So the question is repeated given other developments in the recent past. Are foreign carmakers developing an Achilles heel? Here are the older reports about foreign car company setbacks given the so-called global financial crisis.

Losses Strike Three Japanese Auto Makers from February 2009

Auto makers have been left with little choice but to scale down production and shed jobs as sales in the U.S., Europe and Japan stumble to lows not seen in decades.

Japan Lifts Auto Forecasts

The upgraded forecasts coincide with data from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association showing that Japan’s auto sales for October jumped 12.6%, the third straight monthly increase, highlighting the improving business environment for domestic auto industry.

Okay, so it may have been just a blip in the typically mistake-free Japanese auto industry. But to have the anomaly of this significant recall so soon after may be systemic. Failures of the American auto industry may be contagious.

A learning curve initiated by earlier American failures may give them a leg up if the Japanese companies fall victim to their own set of problems from this point forward. But these lessons are hard learned by over-confident corporate leadership in the land of golden parachutes and bailouts. Ford Motor Company may be the exception.

Stanford Mattheew
MoreWhat.com

Question of the day: When have US athletes dominated in the sport of skiing?

Click the image to view the video and/or check out the one below.

And of course her cover on Sports Illustrated is being credited for starting a controversy.

related: Vonn Primed for Olympic Skiing History

This can be considered a follow-up to other posts here on the recent entry of Apple’s iPad to the consumer gadget offerings. While the sentiment here is that WSJ and in terms of this post, Wired Magazine are competent and capable sources of information they both fall short this time.

Previous iPad posts here have panned the product. Yup, without even having one to study or review this blog gives the enthusiastic thumbs down. Why? You could read the other posts to find out but if you’re lazy enough to see benefit or utility in the iPad the reason will be repeated in summary. Who needs another gadget to do what other gadgets already do? The only thing the iPad does is cater to the lifestyle of the couch potato. Too lazy to use a pc or mac, they just want to lay on the couch and get ‘intimate’ with their latest Apple creation.

Here’s a piece from the WSJ suggesting what the gadget debate is about relative to the iPad’s debut.

The unveiling of Apple Inc.’s iPad renews a classic gadget debate: Do consumers want purpose-built devices that do one thing and one thing well, or all-in-one wonders that try to accomplish many different tasks?

If you do not think WSJ is missing the point on this one how about Wired Magazine? If you peruse their 2008 list of tech breakthroughs the problem becomes clear. Not only was this blogger unable to locate a 2009 list yet but the one they have provides little in the way of actual breakthroughs.

1. Apple’s app store
2. Android
3. USB 3.0
4. Video-capable SLRs
5. The Memristor
6. GPS
7. Flash memory
8. Speedo LZR
9. Edible chips
10. Flexible displays

Give me a break! 30 years ago you may have been able to make the case for GPS and even Wired admits the technology is ‘very old.’ Edible chips is the only thing on the list that may qualify as ‘breakthrough’ but even that’s a stretch. Besides, would you want to use them? I think not. Sure, let’s get old and subject ourselves to more invasive procedures of questionable value and safety.

Everyone seems to be missing the point. And the sad part is it does not appear to be due to ignorance. At least not ignorance on the part of those touting the so-called advancements or what is sought. It is the almost undeniable fact that vendors have been convinced of one thing. The consuming public is easily manipulated. If you build it they will come. And pay nearly any price you ask.

Where in the world is technological advancement? It is not in the realm of consumer products. And the one category that is pointed to here is IT. That’s right. Information technology has not had a breakthrough in decades. if it’s out there no one is bringing it to market. It is likely NOT out there.

And just to borrow a marketing strategy from Microsoft for effect, try thinking about this. You’re a pc and Windows 7 was you’re idea. Not something I would brag about. So what’s new about the latest OS from MS? That’s the point.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

According to the report below President Obama is conceding the point that his agenda is a failure. The man who selected Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff now calls for civility in politics. This would not have happened with a successful first term behind him. It is as if he is pleading for others to throw him a bone.

Where was the civility this liberal President asks for now when MoveOn dot org disrespected General Petraeus? Where was the civility from liberals when Bush 43 was in office? Where IS the civility from liberals regarding opposition to their agenda? Why did liberal civility not include the family of Sarah Palin?

And Mr President, what about your comment, ‘And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion…’ when speaking of small towns in America? Like anyone you may be entitled to your opinion. While serving as POTUS you might consider keeping some of your comments to yourself. But it seems when you were being adored by the mainstream media your need for civility was absent. Funny how things change.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

President Obama Calls for Civility at National Prayer Breakfast
VOA News

U.S. President Barack Obama has called for a return to civility in American politics, as he spoke at a prayer breakfast in Washington.

In remarks Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast, Mr. Obama stressed the importance of being open to compromise and differing perspectives. He said it is time to learn how to “disagree without being disagreeable.” The annual event brings together leading political, religious and business leaders along with diplomats and even some foreign leaders.

Mr. Obama said faith and prayer can play an important role in bridging divisions that have caused Republicans and Democrats to stop listening to one another.

Earlier, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke of the role faith has played helping Haitians suffering from the effects of a devastating earthquake. She said people of all religious denominations have answered the call to help Haitians in need.

First lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and the Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, also attended.

This year the breakfast drew protests from gay rights activists and government watchdog groups concerned about the sponsors of the meeting. For five decades, the breakfast has been hosted by a secretive evangelical organization known as “The Family,” which activists accuse of having ties to anti-gay legislation in Uganda.

Mr. Obama spoke about the controversy Thursday, calling the legislation in Uganda “odious.” He said even for those who do not agree with homosexuality, it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians in a way that dehumanizes them.

Ugandan politician David Bahati, who activists say is a member of “The Family,” recently proposed legislation that would make homosexual acts punishable by imprisonment or even death in Uganda.

related:

MLK, Black History Month, and Cuisine Correctness (Michelle Malkin) 

On January 21st this blog published a post announcing the demise of liberal talk radio. Air America is no more. Perhaps Al Franken can suggest his departure was the reason. But that won’t get as many laughs as him being in the US Senate.

The post here on the 21st suggested there was no reason to comment but just mention this liberal failure. But an item in the LAT on the 23rd changes all that. It starts out well enough as shown below.

Coming only two days after the Republicans’ upset U.S. Senate victory in Massachusetts, the sudden demise of the Air America radio network — after a protracted illness — left liberals reeling and conservatives gloating over the failure of their competing ideology’s highest profile outlet.

But the end of Air America is not the end of liberal talk radio, nor should it be, according to observers.

Ya, all right, according to observers. Obviously that does not suggest ALL observers. Here’s an example of the strange clashes between liberals of various philosophies.

Two weeks after Air America went live, it got yanked off the air in Los Angeles and Chicago as part of a dispute with MultiCultural Radio Broadcasting, which owned the affiliate stations in those cities.

Who cares why? Air America gets support from Clear Channel and they still cannot make a go of it. Sort of like, I dunno, Jimmy Carter and his spectacular experience with things business or economic. Double-digit interest rates, inflation and unemployment ravaged the US. Fortunately all Air America ravaged was Air America. And if you want to point to Slick Willie’s budget surplus at the end of a second term consider this. There was a Republican Congress to balance the insanity of a liberal White House.

Besides those involved with Air America what observers did the LAT use for their condolence piece on the death of liberal talk radio? Air America was about as successful as any liberal agenda in this country or any other. That ain’t sayin’ much.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

How’s this for a sexy teaser?

OMG! ‘Gossip Girl’ star Blake Lively flaunts her assets with a plunging neckline on the red carpet

A successful stint on what appears to be a popular television program. A girl whose appearance is visually pleasing. Or put another way, yes, this qualifies as eye candy. OMG, sex, exploitation, perhaps a political agenda and the masses will rebel. NOT

No need to discuss all the possibilities for debate on what is presented here. Just ignore the natural inclination to weigh in and enjoy the view.

Speaking of views provides a handy transition to the next related item. OMG, controversy over one person’s, correction, two persons’ decision to make a statement about a topic apparently important to them. The piece below is spot on in its analysis.

Tim Tebow chose to take a stand about his beliefs.

It’s certainly his right. He and his mother, Pam, are scheduled to star in a Super Bowl commercial next Sunday night that advocates an anti-abortion message. It has created a firestorm among special-interest groups believing that the national communal experience that has become Super Sunday should be independent of political infiltration.

Those who disagree with their position can choose to take their television remote in hand when the ad appears on CBS and change the channel.

And finally let’s consider a story from a member of the Palin family that is not an attack piece from the MSM or lefty blogosphere.

Bristol Palin vows no more pre-marital sex - and says other women should follow her lead

Here’s a kid dealing with accepting consequences for her decisions. As they say, she chose life. And even with a great deal of support from family and friends that is no easy path. Some may continue to criticize, attack and bash the Palin’s including Bristol. But her ‘goal’ is not something to diss. In addition to what she faces for years to come, if using the media attraction to promote responsible living also comes from it she should get applause not criticism.

So that about wraps up this presentation of three sex stories. A story about an attractive young woman and her apparel which may seem tame these days. A young man and his Mom taking a stand on what they believe at some personal risk. And another attractive young woman dealing with the reality of life’s serious consequences. All of them deal with sex in some way. A topic that can use both serious and light-hearted attention. But one that we must give proper consideration to avoid serious damage and unnecessary setbacks.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

The Obamanation has once again enlisted the help of yet another person who worked on the 2008 presidential campaign of President Barack Obama. David Plouffe is viewed by the left as some sort of hero based on the props they give him. So what’s his story?

Based on his track record in campaigns found at Wiki, he’s basically battin’ 500. In the list below he’s three out of six without the last three wins. Who can tell if his work was really the prime mover in those contests. C’mon, if it were otherwise you might expect Plouffe to be Obama’s mega adviser not Axelrod. And the MSM being what it is the Messiah could do no wrong since his speech at a convention as a virtual unknown and his run in 2008.

(Last three wins working with or for Axelrod)

How tough would it be to get a Democrat elected in Massachusetts in 2006? How tough to get Harkin re-elected in 1990? Harkin in 1992 or Gephardt in 2000 would have been an impressive accomplishment. And how about the following item?

Plouffe offered a video challenge for the left to buy his book in order to beat one day sales of Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue. While the outcome may be unknown this much is certain as of this writing. At Amazon dot com Going Rogue has a sales rank of #59 while Plouffe’s book is at #646.

Apparently his challenge didn’t set the world on fire nor his book sales.

Plouffe’s wife is a principal at Dewey Square Group. In other words, she’s a lobbyist. And as for David Plouffe and David Axelrod they are thick as thieves. For more on them see this piece by Michelle Malkin…

Axelrod’s profits: Uh, who’s on the take from the drug lobby again?!?!

What did candidate Obama say about lobbyists in the 2008 US Presidential campaign? Ya, right. What now President Obama meant by ‘hope and change’ was that the change would be all the broken campaign promises and he hoped you wouldn’t notice.

So if they are enlisting the help of David Plouffe based on the DNC’s dismal prospects for the 2010 midterm elections and beyond (hint, hint, 2012) you should know what that means. Absolutely no hope and change but much, much more of the same.

For liberals and RINOs in 2010 it should be exit stage left.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

note: Much of the information provided here followed a path layed out by the fine folks at Wikipedia. Some info came from your basic internet search.

Transparency and accountability have been a focus in the long battle to defeat liberal control of healthcare in the United States. While the antiseptic qualities apply, described in the phrase, sunshine is the best disinfectant, public demand to review healthcare reform legislation and have input is key. President Obama’s release of his budget proposal for 2011 which begins in October requires the same scrutiny and public focus.

Are you kidding me? A three point eight trillion dollar budget ($3.8 trillion) is not what the doctor ordered. Just as the Democratic party and their agenda is on life support so is the US economy. Given that the vast majority of federal budgets are entitlements and discretionary spending this budget number is preposterous. Like the stark reality being experienced by the unemployed and under-employed the White House and Congress need a wake up call.

The plan includes big increases in personal and business taxes, modest spending cuts and increased outlays for education, defense and jobs initiatives.

First of all, tax increases are nonsense in this economy. Second, modest spending cuts are equally ignorant. As for education, sure, it is important. But the simple fact that everyone will have to suffer includes education. So your college plans are postponed for a year or two. Join the Peace Corps or something. And why do we think education can only be improved by spending money. That hasn’t improved student or teacher performance yet.

Cutting more entitlements would certainly help paying for any defense needs. And who the hell needs a jobs bill now that needs to be paid for over ten years? $80 to $100 billion over ten years for government make work jobs? That’s ridiculous.

And enough with the future timelines for reducing spending, deficits and the national debt. Do it now. Right now, in this budget in this year turn the corner and halt the damage being done by government malfeasance. As an ending note to this post Lamar Alexander put it best in describing current politics in Washington.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.), appearing on the same program, praised Mr. Obama for talking about spending and tax cuts, but said his ideas were flawed. “I’ll give the president some credit,” he said. “He’s in the right church but the wrong pew.”

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

BTW, following links to the WSJ articles is worth the trip.  And so is the following link.

Debt deluge: Here comes the $1.6 trillion flood of red ink (Michelle Malkin) 

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient

What is the US President’s State of the Union address supposed to accomplish?

from an interview at WaPo on January 24th….

Nixon speechwriter Lee Huebner: I think it’s a schizophrenic speech. On the one hand, it’s an administrative tool, it’s a way of managing the government . . . of defining priorities, of getting input from every bureau and agency. . . . It all comes together and then gets mashed into an overlong, often very dull speech. .

Certainly the task of distilling input from nearly every department and agency in the US government to blend flawlessly with the Commander-in-Chief’s expression of an agenda for the country based on current conditions is a formidable challenge to say the least.

Well then, how’d it go for President Obama’s first? No doubt the Democrats loved it.

Looking only at interviews conducted on the two nights following the speech, it is clear that the President enjoyed a bounce in the polls and that the bounce came from members of his own party. On the morning of the speech, 50% of Democrats Strongly Approved of the President’s performance. On the two nights following the speech, that number jumped to 65%. There was essentially no change among Republican and unaffiliated voters.

It rarely makes sense to challenge the wisdom of the Founders. But the following commentary if nothing else offers some welcome humor to an otherwise solemn topic. It may be the result of being worn out in times past preparing for this major political event.

Reagan speechwriter Peter Robinson: I consider the State of the Union one of the central mysteries of modern American life. The president doesn’t want to give it, Congress doesn’t want to listen to it, and the networks don’t want to cover it, and every year the damn thing happens all the same. Nobody would have invented it — the founders sort of backed their way into it, and we’re stuck with it . . . a kind of a permanent ritual.

Rituals are good. Tradition is good. It is unfortunate that we tweak and modify processes that are just fine in their original form.

I wrote Lenny Skutnik into the finale. I wrote the passage, and that created the hero-in-the-gallery ploy, which unfortunately has been milked to death since and overdone. I almost regret it.

As in an earlier post here on the topic of President Obama’s SOTU speech the conclusion drawn is that nothing changed. The same rhetoric, same message, same agenda is what this President proposes. Although the permanent campaigner may have changed that strategy somewhat since the speech. Confronting the GOP at an issue or policy conference may be stage two. Given stage one, the SOTU, did not get it done.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

(it is hoped WaPo does not take offense at my ‘liberal’ use of their content in this post.)