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MARCH 2004
March 28
Just when it appears George Bush can’t say anything more moronic and idiotic, he goes and outdoes himself. This week’s example comes from his Saturday radio address, when he claimed that his deficit-producing tax cuts are responsible for the surge in home ownership during the past few years.
My parents will have to excuse my language when I saw "What a load of shit!"
Mr. Bush, just in case you happen to read this, the house I purchased in March 2002 had absolutely nothing to do with the $300 tax rebate I received in September 2001 (and which was sent to the New York firefighters fund). It did, however, have everything to do with record-low interest rates. And do you know why interest rates have been in the cellar for more than three years now? BECAUSE THE ECONOMY HAS BEEN IN THE TOILET SINCE DAY ONE OF YOUR ADMINISTRATION!
Your father tried to use this same argument in 1992. Back then he claimed credit for low mortgage rates, which naturally helped millions of people refinance their homes. We all know where that got him. From the look of things, Dubya, you’ve learned a little from that lesson, because now you're pushing the home ownership angle rather than the low interest rate angle.
But linking your huge giveaways for the richest Americans (who — and this is just a wild guess here — probably already owned a few homes before your tax cuts) to increased home ownership is pure lunacy. But, then again, after three years I expect little else from your administration.
March 25
Sorry for the lack of posts lately. My body is still recuperating from my weekly baseball games. This past Sunday was the season opener, and unfortunately I tweaked both hamstrings on the first play of the game. I was playing first, and when I ran to cover the base my legs seemingly exploded. I was hobbled pretty much the rest of the game, although I was OK enough to pitch the last few innings. Not surprisingly I was less than stellar. Oh well, I get to go back this Sunday and try it again. It’s a long season, so I’m not gonna get too discouraged just yet.
Clarke’s bottom line, so succinctly stated in response to former Navy Secretary John Lehman, is that the reason he is so critical of President George W. Bush is because he believes the war on Iraq has greatly undermined the war against terrorism. He believes this administration has done "a terrible job" of fighting terrorism. He’s certainly critical of the Clinton administration as well, but he seems to find the difference is that the Clinton people took it seriously, while the Bushies came in with an Iraq agenda and didn’t want to hear about anything else.
He paints a sad tale of both arrogance and ignorance: repeated warnings by both Clarke and George Tenet apparently made no impression on an administration obsessed with Saddam Hussein.
Then we come to the White house campaign to discredit Clarke. What a travesty. The man is a registered Republican who worked for Ronald Reagan and Bush the Elder, as well as Clinton and George W. As to the supposedly “political” timing of the book, the White House held up its publication by three months before clearing it.
The Bush administration’s record of sliming its critics is getting to be a scandal in itself. Joe Wilson’s wife was outed as a CIA agent. Poor former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill (who was the focus of a book that certainly confirms the administration’s obsession with Iraq) was dismissed as a nutcase. And now it’s Clarke’s turn. I suppose we should all be grateful no one is investigating anyone else’s sex life. More ... Ron Brownstein of the Los Angeles Times dissects George Bush’s latest ad that claims John Kerry would raise taxes by $900 billion. Not surprisingly, the ad is more than a little misleading:
In a conference call with reporters and campaign documents supporting the ad, Bush officials couldn’t point to any statement from the senator from Massachusetts endorsing a $900 billion tax increase.
Instead, Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman argued that Kerry would have to raise taxes at least that much to pay for the spending he’s promised while meeting his pledge to cut the federal deficit in half over his first four years.
In particular, Mehlman noted that a study conducted for Kerry projected the 10-year cost of the senator’s health-care plan at about $900 billion. ”He won’t increase the deficit, therefore he will have to pay for it somehow,“ Mehlman argued.
The Bush campaign is correct that the analysis of Kerry’s health-care plan done last year by Emory University Professor Kenneth E. Thorpe estimated its 10-year cost at just under $900 billion.
But, as Democratic analysts quickly noted, there’s no reason to assume that each dollar spent on health care would translate into a new dollar of taxes. By the Bush campaign’s reasoning, the president also must be planning massive tax increases, because he’s proposing big hikes in spending on defense and prescription drugs for seniors while also promising to halve the deficit over the next five years.
In fact, Bush expects to fund his initiatives and reduce the deficit without raising taxes, via economic growth and spending cuts in other areas.
Unlike Bush, Kerry has explicitly supported some tax increases. But he is also promising to cut spending and anticipating increases in revenue. As a result, Kerry aides insist they won’t need to fund every dollar of his new spending with an equivalent amount in new taxes. Whew, I'm completely wiped out from Sunday. Had my first game with the baseball team, and although it was just a practice game (real games start this Sunday), I still got a thorough workout.
The bad news is that we lost, and kinda bad. We only had nine players, so we were stretched pretty thin (our opponent had at least 15). The good news, however, is that I didn't completely embarrass myself. In fact, I'd say I did pretty well for a person who hasn't played in 11 years. I reached base twice out of my four plate appearances. I played a little left field, third base and second base. Most importantly, however, was my two innings on the mound. I was pleasantly surprised with my control...I walked just one batter and gave up only one run. All along my main concern has been my lack of arm strength, but on Sunday my biggest shortcoming was my overall fatigue. My arm was fine, but I was out of breath a lot more than I expected I would be.
Now I just have to get these aches and pains out my system before my next game. I don't remember being this sore when I played back in high school. I wonder if Alex Rodriguez, who is my age, feels this way after a game? I somehow doubt it.
March 12
John McCain stirred up a lot of talk this week when he said he would entertain the idea of running for vice president ... with John Kerry. He quickly took the statement back, but his words highlighted an idea I've been kicking for some time now: a bipartisan ticket. After two years, Kerry and McCain would switch positions. In the next election, McCain would run for president with Kerry as vice president. Then two years later, they switch again. This would ensure a bipartisan cabinet and might be the only way to break the partisan deadlock in Washington. Plus, McCain is just about the only Republican I respect these days.
This is such a crazy idea that I think it just might work. I think most Americans are complete turned off by all the partisan bickering in Washington these days. Why do you think Arnold Schwarzenegger was able to be elected governor of California? Because he was perceived as a moderate, someone who could get things done in Sacramento. More than 50 percent of Americans have given up and refuse to cast a ballot for president. Maybe giving them a dynamic ticket would change all that. Bill Press apparently agrees with me:
Slim chance or not, I think McCain would be Kerry’s best choice - and Kerry, McCain’s. Here’s why it makes sense for McCain: He’s an American patriot first and a Republican second. This is a chance for him to serve his country in the second-highest office. And on many key issues - tax cuts, deficit spending, prewar intelligence failures and cooperation with the 9/11 commission - McCain has sided with Democrats, against the White House.
Besides, there’s no love lost between McCain and Bush. In the 2000 campaign, Bush stood by silently while his supporters vilified McCain, accusing him of deserting veterans, fathering a black love-child and becoming mentally unstable after spending so much time as prisoner of war. Later, President Bush signed his campaign finance reform legislation - without inviting McCain to the signing. What does John McCain owe George Bush? Nothing.
Here’s why it makes sense for John Kerry: A Kerry/McCain ticket would electrify this country like never before. This is an opportunity for John Kerry and John McCain both to put love of country ahead of loyalty to party. Then you and I can enjoy the fun.
Imagine: Two war heroes vs. two draft-dodgers. Bring it on! More ...
March 5
I haven’t completed a Friday Five in a long time, so it’s time to play a little catch-up:
What was ...
1. ... your first grade teacher's name?
2. ... your favorite Saturday morning cartoon?
3. ... the name of your very first best friend?
4. ... your favorite breakfast cereal?
5. ... your favorite thing to do after school?
March 3
It’s March, which means baseball players everywhere are getting back into shape after months of inactivity. Wait, did I say months? I meant years.
The past six Sunday mornings for me have been spent trying to knock the rust off my baseball game. And let me tell you, there’s a ton of it. The last time I put on a uniform was the summer after I graduated high school, back in 1993. That season was cut short after I had a falling out with the idiot who managed my team, and I suppose that’s why I’ve been itching to play ever since.
I thought I would never get another chance to play competitive fastpitch baseball, and that would’ve held true if I had never moved to the Bay Area. A few months ago, however, I stumbled across a Web site for the Tri-Valley Men’s Senior Baseball League (Web site). Tryouts were this past Sunday, when I was picked up by the White Sox based in Livermore.
The league has four divisions: 18 and older, 28 and older, 38 and older, and 48 and older. I had never seen men older than 40 years old play baseball, but that’s exactly what I saw Sunday. All of them had graying hair - heck, even most of the 30-year-olds had some salt mixed in with the pepper. Seeing them perform gave me a whole new appreciation of players such as Barry Bonds, who at 38 is arguably the best player in baseball. I’ve never played against anybody younger than 20.
You’re probably thinking "Why don’t you just spare your body and play softball?" Well, first of all, I hate softball. I see it as a sport for old men with beer bellies. Secondly, my primary position is pitching, and that’s something I could never do on a softball diamond. So, here I am playing baseball again at age 28.
I don’t know whether I’ll be worth a damn anymore, but one thing’s for sure: it won’t be due to lack of effort. If I fail, that will be OK. Half of doing this is just seeing if I can still do this. If it turns out I can still hold my own, I imagine this will be become a yearly exercise for me.
No matter what happens, I’ll be sure to let you know about it.
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