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Poll: Few Parents Ready to Pay for Kids’ College

Many Parents Tell ABC News Poll They’re Relying on Hope — Such as Scholarships or Other Financial Windfalls

Bush Offers Rosy Economic Forecast

Free-trade policies making it easier for U.S. companies to sell their products around the globe are an important ingredient to the economy’s vitality, President Bush said as he projected another year of good economic growth.

GOP Rep. Burton Skips House Votes to Play Golf

Indiana Rep. Dan Burton said he was sorry for skipping 19 House votes to keep his spot in a golf tournament.

Headline 1: They didn’t need a poll for that.
Headline 2: Did Rosy like Bush’s forecast?
Headline 3: Hey, it was only 19 votes.

Comedian Jenée: People are Idiots

So how did the United States Congress do in the first month of the 110th session? You be the judge. First, a little review of the fact that posts here have sometimes asked why we get so focused on what Congress does. After all, they legislate. That’s it. They legislate. The can pass laws. Whatever the House passes must be passed in the Senate also. So both Houses of Congress must pass the same version of a bill before it can become law. Then it goes to the President. He can sign it into law. He can veto it and send it back to Congress. He can pocket-veto at the end of the session. Or he can pretty much ignore it and it becomes law. All you expert legal types out there, feel free to refute this if you must.

Next, Congressional action is either a bill or resolution. Most of the time, resolutions are pretty much useless to the ordinary citizen. There is one example this past month that is not useless. It should not have to come to this but usually does. A joint resolution is similar to a bill. The one last month was for appropriations. You know, to keep the government operating until Congress and the President figure out what they’re doing.

So six bills and one joint resolution have the term “on passage” next to them in the voting record in the House. Being that it is joint and includes the Senate, that’s the only thing showing up on their completed list. Then there are the six bills. You’ll remember them from the daily reminder of the 100 hour agenda. Here’s a take on that.

On January 9, 2007, House of Representatives 1 or HR1 was passed.
This is to implement 9/11 Commission items.
On January 10, 2007, HR2 was passed.
This is for increasing minimum wage over 26 months.
On January 11, 2007, HR3 was passed.
This is to “enhance” stem cell research.
On January 12, 2007, HR4 was passed.
This allows government to negotiate medicare drug prices.
On January 17, 2007, HR5 was passed.
This lowers interest rates on government backed student loans
On January 18, 2007, HR6 was passed.
This is an act for alternative energy creation. That’s quite an act.
On January 19, 2007, HR475 was passed to revise the House Page Board.

The above items are what the House passed. The Senate passed the one joint resolution with the House. And one item became law that was posted here earlier. It is for renaming a National Recreation Area.

One law was passed to rename a park. And the other bills have many hurdles to cross before they can become law. Even if they become law there is no guarantee they will have any positive effects. No one, with any regularity, will follow up on them. So the Congress has done nothing for one month. They have solved nothing. There is only one item as law and it is not critical. 21 Senators are worried about 2008 due to re-election. Other Senators are worried about running for President. And the rest have passed one joint resolution and participated in renaming a park.

We would be better off paying more attention to the remainder of government. At the federal level at least, nothing productive is happening in the legislative branch. Ask anyone from the House or Senate if they care to dispute this. The new Democratic majority are developing disharmony among themselves as are the GOP members. If any of you still hold out optimism for the 110th Congress, good for you. Currently, the chances of Congress contributing to the overall good of the country are slim. That is unless they change their ways. And they will not.
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Check the Beltway Traffic Jam 

Why Super Bowl fans can’t see US commercials

Global National, Canada -
Why can’t Canadians see the spectacular commercials that are such a big part of the annual televised NFL showdown in the United States? …

The whole event is an advertisement. Amazing how people usually hate commercials want to see them when not allowed. How are these commercials any different than the rest? Because these are the only commercials that have their own commercials and extensive marketing campaign. Only in America could you present advertising to advertise advertising.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
Go Bears

Probably not a perfect storm or even a supercell, but this could be a squall line in the making. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell and his problem, among other things, with Barnie Franks and the financial services panel, fits nicely into an earlier story and something that happened on NBC’s Nightly News this evening.

It was reported that Dingell’s Committee would study Big Pharma’s direct to consumer advertising and possibly apply some new restrictions to the practice. And tonight on NBC News, they ran a story about RLS, the recently developed ailment needing a drug. One of the people in the report said this is one time they believe the direct to consumer approach provided a service to consumers. The overall tone of the piece was unmistakenly pro Big Pharma.

Do you suppose NBC was protecting their advertising interests by running this story? Of course they were. The prime time for Big Pharma’s direct to consumer advertising is the “evening news hour”. Oh the lobbyists and special interests are just tripping over themselves to avoid losing one of their gems. That includes all parties to the crime.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
(newscast was on Jan 31, 2007)

‘Bill Clinton First Lady’s Man’

By Anne E. Kornblut
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 28, 2007

DAVENPORT, Iowa, Jan. 28 — Bill Clinton didn’t join his wife on her debut trip to Iowa. But his presence loomed.
“Bill Clinton First Lady’s Man,” read a sign in the audience in Des Moines on Saturday afternoon.

“You know, Bill didn’t compete in the 1992 Iowa caucuses because Tom Harkin was running for president,” Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton told supporters during a house party in Cedar Rapids on Saturday night. “This is the only political experience I will ever have that he had never had.”

There is more being said in this short excerpt than may be noticed on first glance. Have you considered the fact that if Hillary Clinton became President there is something worse than that? If Hillary was in the Whitehouse, guess who else would be there? That scenario is just too scary to let happen.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

In 2004, each major party received $14.924 million in public funds for their conventions, and the parties’ general election nominees were eligble to receive $74.62 million in public funds (source: www.fec.gov)

For the mathematically challenged, $14,924 million equals $14,924,000,000.00 or just under 15 billion dollars. A guess would be that “major party” in this quote refers to the Democratic and Republican party which is two. For both parties the total would be just under 30 billion dollars. Is it just me, or does that sound excessive?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Your view: Congress won’t be any better

LaCrosse Tribune, WI
Let’s see a show of hands from those who believe the 110th Congress will be anything different from the 109th Congress. It will be business as usual, …

This fine newspaper article saves me from having to write another one of these pieces right now. Thank you La Crosse Tribune in Wisconsin. The only problem is they are probably owned by one of the big corps like Gannett. But thanks again, the 110th Congress will prove this paper right.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Maybe someone can explain this. We invite anyone to submit their evaluation. This post is about the Congress considering the negotiation of Medicare drug pricing. When it was first mentioned some time ago, the initial reaction by the public may have been good, as was mine. But that was without considering how it would be effective or what the upside and downside was.

For instance, drugs are not the same thing as say, gasoline or food or building materials. What is the incentive for a drug company like Pfizer to lower the price of Lipitor? Is there an equivalent alternative? One could argue that though there are other statins available, they are not all equal. And even if they are similar or they provide an equivalent efficacy, how does that change the pricing? If there are millions of medicare patients on Lipitor paying whatever the price is now, how does the government convince Pfizer to lower the price? If Pfizer wanted to make the government happy, they could lower the price for Medicare recipients and raise it for everyone else to offset the discount. Ok, the government arranges purchases through Canada. Then Pfizer raises the Canadian prices. This is why we invited anyone to provide their take on this. We are not seeing how government negotiation will improve drug prices.

What we do see is a burden on the taxpayer. Not unlike the increase in minimum wage, where forcing employers who do not already pay above that minimum to do so has encouraged Congress to then consider offering small business some breaks to offset increased minimum wage which pushes the cost to the good old middle class taxpayer. So the middle income folks will pay for the lower income folks. We view any lower drug prices for Medicare as higher prices for everyone else.

C. Harris
MoreWhat.com

SENATE DEMOCRATS HIGHLIGHT COMMITMENT TO TOUGH NEW ETHICS REFORM

Washington, DC — With the Senate moving forward on the American people’s call for change, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Russ Feingold, Senator Barack Obama, Senator Ben Cardin, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Robert Casey, Senator Claire McCaskill, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and Senator Jon Tester today praised the new Democratic Congress for swiftly moving forward on the toughest ethics and lobbying reform in a generation. The new measure, the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007, will open for debate this week on the Floor of the United States Senate cosponsored by Majority Leader Reid and by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

If nothing else, and it’s probably nothing else, you can call the Dems consistent so far in the 110th Congress if this is any indication. Pelosi called the ethics reform in the House the toughest ethics reform in years and the Senate is echoing that sentiment. But saying it doesn’t make it right. As mentioned here more than once, what passes for ethics reform in Congress, tough or otherwise, has so many holes in it, an elementary school student could break these rules and never spend a day in detention. If they have that any more. All the names above and anyone who agrees with them on ethics reform are not being honest. Sad, considering we’re discussing ethics reform. Congress should be ashamed.

Ok, a little Jeopardy here. The answer is: when their lips are moving.

LOL
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

House Warming

For Democrats and Deadheads, the Gilded Party

By David Montgomery and J. Freedom du Lac
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, January 5, 2007; Page C01

Despite the promised “new direction for America,” getting the money out of politics and all of that, some facts of Washington life appear immutable and eternal.

An historic occasion only flawed by the hypocrisy that is Washington and by all indications is Nancy Pelosi. Hours after talking about a first in politics by becoming Speaker of the House, Pelosi is rubbing the public’s nose in it by attending a $1000 a plate fundraiser.

Question for Nancy Pelosi: Isn’t that, at least in spirit, the same thing as accepting gifts from a lobbyist? Everyone is urged to go through the pain and suffering of sifting through House Resolution 6. There you will see Nancy Pelosi’s version of tough ethics reform. There’s that load of hogwash again. Not to overly criticize Pelosi, her co-conspirators are the remainder of the Democratic party and the GOP plus countless other players of the money game.

Stanford Matthews

from Project Gutenberg
A Wonderful Night: An Interpretation of Christmas
By James H. Snowden
(click on Christmas under the Pages listing
on the right for the full length version)

II. Preparation for the Event

Near events may have remote causes. The river that sweeps by us cannot be explained without going far back to hidden springs in distant hills. The huge wave that breaks upon the ocean shore may have had its origin in a submarine upheaval five thousand miles away.

A wide circle of causes converged towards this birth; all the spokes of the ancient world ran into this hub. When Abraham started west as an emigrant out of Babylonia, “not knowing whither he went,” he was unconsciously traveling towards Bethlehem. Jewish history for centuries headed towards this culmination; this was the matchless blossom that bloomed out of all that growth from Abraham to Joseph and Mary. Priest and prophet, tabernacle and temple, gorgeous ritual and streaming altar, sacrifice and psalm, kingdom and captivity, triumph and tragedy were all so many roots to this tree. These were the education and discipline of the chosen people, preparing them as soil out of which the Messiah could spring. The great ideas of the unity and sovereignty, spirituality and righteousness of God, the sinfulness of sin and the need of an atonement were in flaming picture language emblazoned before the people and burnt into their conscience. Christ could do nothing until these ideas were rooted in the world.

Pagan achievements, also, “the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome,” were roots to this same tree of preparation for the coming of Christ, though they knew it not. Greece with all the glories of its philosophy and art showed that the world never could be saved by its own wisdom; and all the laws and legions of Rome were equally impotent to lift it out of the ditch of sin. Neither a brilliant brain nor a mailed fist can save a lost world. Yet both Greece and Rome made positive contributions to the preparation for Christ. Greece fashioned a marvelous instrument for propagating the gospel in its highly flexible and expressive language, and Rome reduced the world to order and hushed it into peace and thus turned it into a vast amphitheater in which the gospel could be heard. Greece also contributed philosophy that threw light on the gospel, and Rome gave it a rich inheritance of law.

God thus set this event in a mighty framework of preparation. He got the world ready for Christ before he brought Christ to the world. He was in no haste and took plenty of time before he struck the great hour. The harvest must lie out in the showers and sunshine for weeks and months before it can ripen into golden wheat, and the meteor must shoot through millions of invisible miles for one brief flash of splendor. The centuries seemed slow-footed during that long and dreary stretch from Abraham to Mary, “but when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son.”

Abbas insists he will hold elections

The Age, Australia - 3 hours ago
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is vowing to press on with early elections as a truce between his security forces and the Hamas government appears close to …

Early reports characterize Abbas’ stance as firm, then insists, then below he may be softening. When surrounded by all kinds of nutcases and having a slippery grip on the situation, it’s easy to understand how one might do that.

‘Warmer’ Abbas in push for early poll

Irish Examiner, Ireland - 1 hour ago
By Karen Laub Ramallah, West Bank. PALESTINIAN president Mahmoud Abbas yesterday said he was pushing ahead with early elections — despite …

A one hour ago indication with yesterday in the article text. Confusing, no? The article’s date stamp on that site shows December 19. These summaries were obtained on the 18th. Ya, we know, who cares? Someone might. For a minute we thought the Irish were coming late to the party. That’s why we made that crack about Northern Ireland in the last post.

Palestinian PM Haniyeh to deliver key speech on …

International Herald Tribune, France - 4 hours ago
AP. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip: Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh will deliver a major speech on Tuesday to respond to President …

As mentioned before, if Hamas sees this as a move by US and Israel to undermine their position that would explain why Abbas did not seek a national consensus for the elections. As if the situation has ever been promising for a peaceful future, most nations seem to be pushing their own agendas and making matters worse.

Choose peace

Jerusalem Post, Israel - 4 hours ago
When the bullets are flying and the guns are flailing, polls are notoriously unreliable. The surveys that indicate a tight race …

That’s a quaint headline from an Israeli paper. The last paragraph explains the headline. It’s not a call for peace. It says the international community had previously not pushed the Palestinians to choose peace and that was a mistake. That is not the first place to look for mistakes in this neverending conflict. Thanks Israel, nice point, NOT.

Roundup: Palestinian violence concerns Israel

People’s Daily Online, China - 1 hour ago
After internal violence between warring Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas exploded across the Gaza Strip and the West Bank last weekend, Israel is gravely …

The People’s Daily writes Israel is concerned this will be a further deteoration and cost them greatly. Maybe Israel and Palestine should work a little harder to reach agreements. Or maybe it is just easier and a better bet you can get what you really want with the US pouring money in the place while you hold out for a better deal.

Olmert, Blair stress backing for Abbas

Daily Star - Lebanon, Lebanon - 4 hours ago
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he plans to set up a meeting with Mahmoud Abbas “very soon,” and release seized Palestinian funds for “humanitarian …

This item just proves the conspiracy theory that the US and Israel have a plot going on here. And since everyone knows that Tony Blair and George Bush are such good friends, it must be true.

Abbas gets Israeli and UK backing
BBC News, UK - 4 hours ago
UK and Israeli leaders have reiterated their support for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in his row with the governing Islamist party Hamas. …

One source in Lebanon and one in the UK saying the same thing. More confirmation for the conspiracy theorists or just media types filling space.
Again, more on the topic in the next post.
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

REID: THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE DEMANDED A NEW DIRECTION

Washington, DC — Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid today released the following statement.

“The American people have spoken and they have demanded change. They want, they deserve, and they are going to get a new direction—at home and in Iraq. Americans chose Democrats because we fought for the people and we fought for change. Now the Congress must honor that choice with a new beginning. I have already reached out to Senator McConnell and asked him to join me in making the Congress work for the American people again. Americans have had enough of the partisanship. Now we must work together to move America forward.

“America needs change, and change starts in Iraq. The President must listen and work with Democrats to fix his failed policy. Americans have demanded a new direction. Democrats are ready to deliver.”

###

What a load of ……. This release was dated November 8, 2006 and is still displayed prominently on the Senate Dems website. Especially irksome is the phrase “we fought for the people and we fought for change.” Who’s on crack? If that was the reason for the election outcome, then all the Republicans would be out of office, Harry. Seats were won and lost. By the time it was over, the Dems squeezed a majority from the results. Whoopee!!! Any communication or, oh my God, actions on the part of the Democrats since the election DO NOT INDICATE anything. With the possible exception that y’all have some difficulty making decisions. There’s plenty of blame to go around. The GOP has done nothing to get excited about unless mad counts. Hurting the troops, helping the enemy, fighting a war in the press. No immigration control, no border control, on and on and on.

Words that will find their way into the press with the 110th Congress might be: tolerate, pacify, relinquish, accept, abandon, ignore, retreat, coddle, deceive, discourage and even surrender. It is time this country became reacquainted with the past and the tradition, values and ethics of strong, intelligent and assertive individuals that built this nation. It is time Congress and the rest of the country grew a pair and return the US to its former leadership and reputation for excellence.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Pelosi’s New Intel Head Lacks Basic Intelligence

December 12, 2006
From a corrupt impeached federal judge to an anti-war congressman who doesn’t know basic facts about the world’s top terrorist groups, new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s choices to head the Intelligence Committee should concern all Americans.

This is the first of several articles published today with scathing criticism of Democratic Speaker of the House Elect Nancy Pelosi’s choice for Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. We posted on her selection of Congressman Silvestre Reyes and questioned something as simple as the math regarding his resume’. However, the media has since pounced on the apparent lack of knowledge for the job and a less than stellar performance in a 45 minute interview. The article above reminds of us her first choice, Alcee Hastings. So let’s review. Pelosi’s first choice for Majority Leader was Jack Murtha and Steny Hoyer is now the Majority Leader. Hastings was her first choice for House Intel Chair and she is currently working with her second choice. It would appear that the Dems were convinced they may never be in the majority again after 1994 and failed to prepare for just such a turn of events.

Middle East questions stump Democrats’ intelligence overseer

Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Wednesday December 13, 2006
The Guardian

Of all the things on the to-do list before the Democrats take control of Congress next month, one item seemed to have escaped the attention of Congressman Silvestro Reyes: read something about the Middle East.

Another piece on Congressman Reyes and his struggle with the media on intelligence questions. Both this article and the previous one in this post may be a little over the top on criticism but just about “spot on” with concern over Pelosi’s committee selections and that of a Majority Leader. It is prudent to nominate or submit a candidate based on their qualifications for the job. After plenty of mistakes in Washington, it would be appreciated if the 110th Congress would limit their mistakes especially before they officially take over the next session. Can we get something right here?

House intelligence chair calls al Qaeda Shi’ite

Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:39 AM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Is al Qaeda a Sunni organization, or Shi’ite?

The question proved nettlesome for Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, incoming Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

“Predominantly — probably Shi’ite,” he said in a recent interview with Congressional Quarterly, a periodical that covers political and legislative issues in Congress.

One more to make it a hat trick. We should not focus on the stumbling around with the questions and interview. But we certainly should question the qualifications of Reyes for the job and the continued poor choices by Pelosi. Are you people going to lead or what? The one thing that remains constant throughout news media coverage of events within the United States is how uncomfortable or downright embarrassed a citizen can become while observing fellow citizens drop the ball for the whole world to see. And some have the brass to question why others in the world find our country less than impressive. We’ve been stubbing our collective toes for years. The typical response to international criticsm of the US is “then why do they all want to come here?”. They just want “the stuff” we have. They are not looking for role models or the nirvana of democracy. At least it would be nice if our public officials could get their act together.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Iraqi Reconstruction Still Needs Investigating
December 8th, 2006
by Senator Joe Lieberman
The performance of Special Inspector General Stuart Bowen and his staff has been outstanding. The SIGIR has uncovered waste, mismanagement, and fraud on a massive scale, involving billions of squandered taxpayer dollars.

The more time that passes after the commission of a crime, the less likely it is that the perpetrators will be convicted. It is difficult to prepare a case against criminals if the time between the crime and prosecuting the offenders is excessive. It would be nice to hear from Senator Lieberman on why nothing has been done about it so far. The expectation would be that the Honorable Senator Lieberman would offer the all too common excuse that the Republican lead Congress would not move on such an investigation and only in the new 110th with a Democratic majority would that be possible. Even though Mr. Lieberman ran and won as an Independent candidate. He reassured us that he would side with Democrats.

More rhetoric when the real reason he ran as an independent was the only way he could possibly win re-election. More rhetoric from more politicians and more examples of less or nothing worthwhile being accomplished. More calls for justice that will never be answered. More nothing from a failing institution that urges Iraqis in a war torn country to emulate. Looks like they are learning well from their American teachers. Milk the cow for all it’s worth.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com