ATP Oil and Gas Corporation: An Open Letter To President Obama

The Chairman and CEO of ATP wrote an open letter to President Obama which was published in the Times Picayune dated 12/27/10. One would think the Chairman, T. Paul Bulmahn would have been satisfied not to make the letter to the President public but propaganda has always been a part of the oil and gas industry dealings with the public. During the administration of Bush 43, V.P. Chaney met with the energy industry executives and their discussions and decisions were and still are secret. They did not think the people had a right to know. If Mr. Bulmahn's company participated in those meetings with the V.P. perhaps he should write another letter and make the discussions and decisions of that meeting public.

Mr. Bulmahn starts his letter out by reminding the President gasoline at the pump is already climbing over $3.00 gallon. He fails to note it hit $4.00 gallon on Bush's watch and has been at its highest sustained cost since Bush took office. During the Gulf War in 1991 when Bush's father, George H.W. Bush was President, the average yearly cost of a barrel of oil during his 4 years in office was $32.04. (See Note 1) Today it is over $90 barrel and on Bush's 43 watch it hit $140 barrel.

The import of Mr. Bulmahn's letter to the President is to approve a permit to drill OCSG 16661, Mississippi Canyon Block Well #4 which has yet to be approved. He also speaks about his company's safety record and the fact that offshore drilling has been taken place in the Gulf for over 60 years. He ends his letter asking the President to give ATP a permit to return to work rather than forcing more American jobs to be lost.

What was missing in the letter is the fact that with over 60 years of drilling experience in the Gulf, Mr. Bulmahn's industry does not have the technology or equipment to TIMELY cap a blow out such as BP's Macondo well nor the equipment to TIMELY clean up any leaked oil from the waters before the oil hits shore. One has to assume ATP does not possess that ability to do so any more than BP. If I am wrong he should have told the President about his company's ability to do so.

The price of a barrel of oil and gallon of gasoline is manipulated by the oil industry and the sustained high price of both since Bush 43 took office and their secret discussions with V.P. Chaney is the Rosetta Stone. The industry is noted for cutting production to bring about shortages which is used to manipulate prices. The American people need to keep in mind that the industry has been given special tax breaks and incentives since the very beginning to find and produce more oil but our nation is more dependent on foreign oil today than ever before. Just ask Boone Pickens.

We hear a lot about lost jobs from the industry because of the moratorium and about rigs moving over seas. Well lets explore the following: In 2001 the average number of drilling rigs working in the Gulf of Mexico was 119. In 2008 it was 64, a loss of 55 rigs and there was no moratorium in effect during that period of time. Where did those 55 rigs go, what happened to those jobs, did they go overseas? Were those workers laid off? The industry has never made comment on this. According to the oil and gas industry there were 35 rigs working the Gulf when the BP rig blew. (See Note 2)

The oil and gas industry own, lease or rent millions of acres that they have yet to drill one well on. Instead of laying off workers they should be drilling those properties and putting their people to work. The American oil companies will never produce enough oil to make our country self reliant. They would have to stock pile the inventory and that would bring prices down. They perfer the manipulation game, continue to cry wolfe and continue to receive tax breaks and other incentives that do not produce one extra barrel of oil or one extra gallon of gasoline.

The major oil companies should be broken up and scattered to the wind. Their take over of other oil companies thru the years has also not produced one extra barrel of oil or gallon of gasoline. It has only produced larger companies and wealth for their CEO's and Executives. That says it all.


Note l: Inflation Data.Com. Historic Oil Prices May 2008

Note 2: Times Picayune report dated 1/17/10, page E-4

What Will The New Year Bring Politically

A repeat of past mistakes or the wisdom to learn from the past and have a better future. A triple history will begin the New Year in January 2011 with President Obama starting his third year in office. Our nations major combat role in Iraq is over; the congress will be split with democrats controlling the U.S. Senate and the republicans controlling the U. S. House; the expectation of the economy making big gains, a continued expansion and the best since the early part of 2007. Job creation should be a certainty with the economic expansion.

The question is will our leaders learn from the past mistakes to determine the country's future. The previous administration did not and our country and its people paid an awful price. President Obama during his first two years in office succumbed to the past on a few issues and now has two more years to apply what he has learned and lead our country and its people into the future.

We know the republicans in congress will be little help since they want the President to be a one term leader. The President does have enough clout to over come that and must exert his leadership and courage to do so. The President also needs to reduce our troop presence in Afghanistan in a big way in 2011. It can be done without harming our national security. The U.S. has the intelligence capacity, military power and equipment to take care of the terror threat without occupying other lands.

Since no republican administration has presided over a balanced budget in over 50 years, actually 1960, the President needs to avoid the PAST mistakes of that party and apply what he has learned to reducing future deficits and balance the budget. President Clinton's ideas and knowledge of the budget would be a good place to start to reverse the sad fiscal PAST of the previous republican administrations.

The republican party has learned nothing from the PAST failure of trickle down economics that started with Reagan over 30 years ago. Bush 43 repeated the same PAST mistake with his tax cuts for the wealthy and dammed the future of his time in office. President Obama will have to support policies that will truly work to better our future. We know where we have been on the subject and we do not dare go there again.

President Obama has a unique position having served two years as chief executive. If he has not learned from the PAST the country and its people are in real trouble. He knows why deficit spending is a problem, why we can not afford to stay in Afghanistan, why we have to have an expanding economy and job creation and the many other problems that have been with us for so many years. It is now time to reverse the PAST and do those things that really matter and make a difference for our future and future generations.

Over six thousand years ago the very first civilization, that of the Sumerians said they were taught that the PAST is the key to the FUTURE. It is my hope that 6000 years later, we in this generation will be able to say that in the year 2011 the U.S. learned from its PAST and created a great FUTURE for its country and its people.

The 111th. Congress: No "Lame Duck" Session Here

Congratulation to U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Senator Harry Reid for their leadership and courage as leaders of the U.S. House and Senate for keeping the congress in session and demanding that congress act on legislation concerning important bills that affect the country and its people. Senator Reid had to make it known to the little boy republicans that he would keep congress in session thru the holidays until the senate completed its business.

The accomplishments of the democratic controlled congress proved the "lame duck" label to be wrong and should give people in the news media a lesson in media failure. No wonder people are negative concerning politics. It is bad enough that far too many people do not really pay attention to what takes place. A negative news media is unacceptable.

I wrote a post on December 20 titled "President Obama and The Next Two Years" and pointed out that this congress would take care of its business before the end of the year. Not many people agreed. The hand writing was on the wall really for everyone to see. Democrats do not always agree, but they put their country and its people first. They were going to let it be known they still run the show in the majority and would not let the republicans and outside forces make this session of congress a "lame duck." The handful of republicans who bucked their party's leadership and voted yes concerning DADT and the Start Treaty should also be congratulated.

The importance of the legislation passed by this congress will play out in time as it is implemented. Coupled with the fact that the economy continues to gain steam and the job picture will continue to get better proves once again democratic policies move the country and its people forward while the opposite happens when the republicans are in control. The republican leadership in the U.S. House and Senate did their best to make this congress a "lame duck" but democratic leadership and courage prevailed. At a time of what could have been a crisis, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid stepped forward with leadership and courage. That says it all.

President Obama And The Next Two Years

The democratic controlled congress will end the year on a positive note by passing meaningful legislation even though the congress was called "lame duck." In a flurry of action before the end of the year the American people and the country will come out a winner despite the whinning of those little boy republicans. There were some doubts that anything would pass because of the mood in congress but the democrats, despite their differences held every thing together and the bulk of the legislation that has passed and that will soon pass will benefit the middle class the most. That is the key to a complete economic recovery that will continue to create jobs.

The task for the President and democrats in congress will be much tougher the next two years because republicans will continue to say no and try to block the Presidents agenda. The President and democrats need to stay on message and take their case to the people so things will get done. The President did not do that as well as he could have during his first two years in office. The republicans will also try to reverse some of the legislation passed in the last two years and the President will have to stand up for democratic values and the people and push back.

The President and democrats are on the right side of history at this point in time and need to remind the people every time the republicans open their mouth that it is the democratic party that has the best record on handling the economy, job creation, low unemployment, advances in the average workers wages, decrease in poverty rates, balancing the federal budget and paying down debt. The lowest average yearly price of a barrel of oil and gallon of gasoline in the past 34 years also took place on the democratic watch. The child tax credit, college tuition credit, child care, family leave and many other benefits are democratic programs. President Obama needs to tell the story often to combat the false hoods and lies of the republican party and those right wingers in the news media, especially Television.

Let the republicans talk about how they cut taxes for the wealthy over the average citizen. The people should have learned by now how republican administrations get into the average citizens pocket a hundred different ways with their failed trickle down economics. The record job losses, economic disaster and high unemployment of the previous administration did not happen by accident, it happened because of the republicans warped ideology.

The President and democrats in congress can make their case with the people. The economy is getting better every day and in the near future job creation will hit those numbers necessary to reduce unemployment. And as usual, it will happen on a democrat's watch because of democratic policies and actions. Republicans will continue to be the party of no because they seek failure, but democrats will succeed once again in turning the economy around. That says it all.

The Anti-American Republicans In Congress

The so called lame duck session of congress which is now in progress will not be considered "lame duck" if the congress deals with the legislation before that body by the end of the year. The roadblock is the anti-American leaders for the republicans in the House and Senate. They throw up one roadblock after another to deny President Obama and the democratic congress any legislative victories.

The republican vow to make Obama a one term President has trumped their responsibility as legislators to take care of the business of the country and its people. And to think that voters made the republican party the majority in the House next year is chilling. The voters learned nothing form the past republican record of failure.

And because Senator Reid said he would keep the Senate in session until the country's business is taken care of, one republican accused Reid of being un-christian like. A typical ploy because republicans have no record to debate the issues so they resort to the usual personal attacks.

The big issues that are pending before congress are a no brainer. They have all been vetted. DADT, Defense bill, Start Treaty and the normal legislation to keep the government running. The republican position on those items have no credibility just like they have no credibility on balancing the federal budget.

In 2011 and 2012 the country and its people will know if President Obama had the leadership, character and courage to deal with the anti American leaders in the republican party. Those little boys need a good spanking. It falls to you Mr. President to administer that spanking, the voters do not seem to be qualified to do so.

Congratulations To Bob Marshall And His Editorial Opinion

Bob Marshall, outdoors editor for the Times Picayune scored a whopper in his editorial of December 12 titled, "Our Abusive Relationship With Big Oil." As a person who has spent a lot of time outdoors in Louisiana Mr. Marshall knows first hand the damage the Oil and Gas Industry is responsible for concerning our marshes, wet lands and coastal area.

Mr. Marshall points out how big oil uses political cash and threats of job cuts to get its way with politicians. He reports the industry bullied the state into allowing marsh-killing dredging for wells and pipe lines, and that the devastating damage was known but the state still allows it today. He also points out our elected officials protect the abusers. Mr. Marshall has credibility on the issue.

This writer has written a number of post commentary concerning the subject matter in the recent past, especially since the oil spill and pointed out how the oil industry and their lobby and wealth has paid off for them with our elected officials. It was also pointed out in those commentaries how elected officials were doing the oil industry's bidding during the spill by opposing the moratorium.

The only thing lacking in Mr. Marshall's editorial was former Governor David Treen's support for CWEL, (Coastal Wetlands Environmental Levy) Legislation that would have exacted a price from the industry and used to restore the damage they caused. Our elected officials have refused to even consider CWEL as a means to have the oil industry pay up for their abuse of the environment.

Elected officials in Louisiana do not have the character, leadership or courage to stand up to the industry concerning the environmental damage they have caused the state and its people who have been paying the tab. The BP spill has taught them nothing. When the oil industry spreads their wealth, our elected officials stand up and listen. There can be no doubt the influence and role campaign contributions play in our political system It is no wonder the average citizen comes last.

Lost In The So Called Bush Tax Cut Debate

Anyone who follows politics should know the real issues get lost in any political debate and on purpose by our political leaders and the news media. That is the way political leaders work. It is a con game to deflect the real issue, but why does the news media go along with this con game. Do they lack the ability to recognize the real issues? I think not.

The present con game concerns the so called Bush tax cut agreement by President Obama and the republicans. But the tax cuts are really not the issue and are not really tax cuts. The real issues are: (1) The republicans vote against extending unemployment benefits for those who have been out of work for a long time (through no fault of their own) and other benefits that went along with it. (2) The republican vote against extending the Bush tax cuts for the middle class that was passed by the U.S. House. Those republican votes against those two issues is in keeping with the republican party's anti American ideology. The republican opposition and negative vote on the above is the real story that should be talked about because those proposals would do more to help the economy expand and create jobs.

The extension of the tax cuts are a separate matter that should be debated as a stand alone item and should not be a part of any compromise with the other issues. Compromise is used by politicians to avoid making difficult choices because of a lack of leadership and courage. The question to answer is, did the tax cuts do what they were supposed to do for the economy, job creation and reducing deficit spending.

Two recessions took place while the tax cuts were in effect. The last one being the most severe with record job losses. As of this writing the tax cuts are still in place and not creating any jobs. In fact it is President Obama's stimulus package that is responsible for the jobs being created now. Also while the tax cuts were in place the Bush administration ended its term in office with eight years of record federal deficit spending and added $6.1 trillion to the national debt in those budget years. A case can be made that just on the above, all the tax cuts should be left to expire. That is the reason a sunset date was put on the legislation. However, with the severity of the present economic situation, one can also see it would be wise if any extension is given it should be given to the middle class only because they are hurting more than any one else and would be more likely to help the economy.

Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 left our country in such terrible shape fiscally with their record deficit spending and debt in the 20 years they served, the country can not afford to extend the tax cuts without funding to pay for them. Adding another $900 billion to the deficit is not acceptable, period. Democrats should not be a part of the continued deficit spending that is the trademark of republican administrations.

The above items should be debated separately to insure common sense be applied. The political process is wrong to do other wise and no help will come from the show business media, especially Television. They believe in confusing the people by bundling all the issues together to fill up air time.

The past is still the key to the future as I have written about in past commentaries. I'm afraid that the President and Congress are about to repeat the mistakes of the past from what I am seeing and hearing. If that happens, what a shame for the future.

Another Positive Report On The U.S. Economy

The Associated Press reports in a story dated 12/6 the economy is firing on almost every cylinder except jobs. Factories are busier, incomes are rising and the holiday season is shaping up as the best in four years. Some economists dismissed the November job numbers as a technical fluke and think the numbers will be revised up later. ( This writer predicted the same thing in a recent post a few days ago. )

Goldman Sachs revised its gloomy forecast of a 2% increase in the GDP in 2011 to 2.7% and then forecast a 3.6% growth for 2012. ( These numbers are close to the numbers I predicted in the same post alluded to above.) Chief economist James O'Sullivan at MF Global says the upward momentum of the economy has traction. In fact Mr. O'Sullivan asked, which are you going to believe, one month of payrolls or all the other data.

Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist at the National Retail Federation said we've had a unique recession and therefor a unique recovery. Others pointed out that the conditions were so bad it turned a normal recession into the worst recession in 70 years.

Readers of politidose know that in past posts I spoke about the severity of the recession and the loss of jobs and it would take time for the recovery. Those who had an axe to grind were blinded by their own folly, like the republicans and their ideology that triggered the economic meltdown.

The policy and steps the Obama administration has taken are working and the economy is getting where it should be. Slow job growth should have been expected and the fact of the matter job creation is getting better and will continue to do so. Once again it will be a democratic administration that turned the economy around and once again without any help from the republicans or their party. Republicans still have no positive record on the economy or job creation.

President Obama And The Extension Of The Tax Cuts

On December 6 the President announced an agreement where by the Bush era tax cuts would be extended two years, unemployment payments would extend for 13 months and other tax reductions and tax benefits would be enacted. The response from the news media, democrats, republicans and others was swift and furious. The decision by the President was called sellout, a good compromise and other descriptions.



This writer is an Obama supporter although my first and second choice for the democratic nomination in '08 was Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. That did not happen and with the nomination of Obama I felt he would be a better choice than the republican nominee. After almost two full years in office I still feel he was the better choice over the GOP, especially with the shape the GOP left the country in. There are a few things however that needs to be addressed that did not appear in any comments that I heard concerning the Presidents decision on the subject matter.



First and foremost is to keep in mind the President is voted on and elected by the people in all 50 states. He represents all 50 states and all the voters in all 50 states because of that. House and Senate members of Congress are elected by the voters of only ONE state and represent the voters of only that ONE state. President Obama campaigned on ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy by letting them expire and for good reason. His compromise on the issue by extending them for two more years is an abdication of his Presidential leadership role given to him by the voters in all 50 states to members of congress that represent a different party and have no responsibility to the nation as a whole. The President is the leader of our Nation, not members of congress and the President should carry himself that way.



In this writers judgement the President could have prevailed on the tax issue and the extension of insurance for the unemployed if he would have governed from a leadership position. Presidents Truman and Clinton did it even with hostile republicans in congress. President Obama was on the right side of both issues, the republicans on the wrong side and Obama could have prevailed. The Presidents decision could trigger two things. First it could assist the republicans in making him a one term President. Second, the Presidents decision to forego his promise of not extending the tax cuts for the wealthy could be the equivalent of former President Bushs statement, "read my lips, no new taxes."



The extension of the tax cuts for the wealthy will add billions of dollars to the national debt and the deficit. That deficit spending has been the trade mark of republican administrations for over 30 years and adds to the problem of the Obama administration to balance the federal budget. Plus the two years extension date will be a debate issue again in two years. The abdication of Presidential leadership by adding to the national debt plays right into the republicans hands of their desire to bankrupt the federal government.



George Bush started two wars and failed to ask America to a shared sacrifice by all its people and pay for those wars. Instead he set America on course to record federal deficits and debt. President Obama should have pointed out to the people that we could no longer operate in that manner and we would all have to sacrifice and pay our share, especially the wealthy. Instead, the wealthy received a Christmas present early. Presidents Roosevelt and Truman during WWII asked and received from the people their sacrifice. This writer thinks we should permanently stamp the oval office floor with President Kennedys remarks. "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." President Obama failed to ask the wealthy what they could do for their country in time of need and failed to stand up to the republican party.



I was a young boy during WWII and I remember the sacrifices and the hardships the nation and its people made during that war. All able bodied Americans were proud to join the military in time of need and family they left behind did more than their part a the homefront. Remember the saying the Reagan Revolution? That so called revolution put the nation on the path to record deficits and debt at the time and also on the path to trickle down economics which was actually special treatment for the wealthy. The problem was the middle class paid the price of the Reagan Revolution, deficit spending and debt while the wealthy enjoyed their special treatment.



The President had another option. He could have announced early on that he would let the tax cuts expire as scheduled at the end of the year, and then early in 2011 propose the middle class tax cuts and make them retroactive to the first of the year. It was the republican controlled congress who put the sunset date on the tax cuts to begin with and Obama could have used that against them. A President showing leadership could have made that case.



From here on, President Obama needs to show his leadership and courage to the American people and distinguish how the democrats are truly representative of all the people and reverse the sad record of the republican party and past republican administrations. The wealthy have to be kicked off the gravy train and contribute their fair share. Leadership, character and courage is what the President should display in the coming year and beyond. Any thing less will be tragic for America and its people.

Presidents Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43: The Axis of Runaway Deficit Spending and Debt

If those three so called conservative republican Presidents would have balanced the federal budget during the 20 years they served the country would not be going through the fiscal nightmare we find ourselves in today. Make no mistake, the coming assault against Social Security, Medicare and other needed programs, increase in taxes that will be borne mainly by the middle class and continued tax breaks for corporate America will be the vehicle that will be used to reduce the national debt. That works hand in hand with the ideology of Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 and the republican party in their attempt to bankrupt the federal government.

The republicans rubber stamped their record deficit spending and debt and made no attempt to pay for such spending along the way. Now since a democrat is in the White House they have seen the Lord and are seeking to cut the budget and pay for various legislation except for their own priority like the extension of tax cuts for the wealthy. Their ideology dictates the wealthy should be exempt from any sacrifice and pain.

The Deficit Reduction and National Debt Commission appointed by the President to study the problem has come up with recommendations that will mostly impact the middle class in an effort to get deficit spending and debt under control. The commission took no position on the extension of the Bush tax cuts even though those taxes that cover the wealthy if extended will add billions of dollars to the national debt and do nothing to stimulate the economy. So much for fairness by the commission.

Conservative republican administrations that preach "no new taxes" have been getting into the pockets of the middle class for years and the present time is the worse. The bill has come due on the reckless spending of republicans, the transfer of wealth has been complete from the middle class to the wealthy. Reagan has passed away and Bush 41 and Bush 43 are no longer in office and could care less about the damage their reckless spending and debt has harmed the country and its people. The irony of it all is that Bush 43 has been promoting his new book about his years in the White House and journalists are falling all over each other to interview him but I have not heard one journalist ask him about his record deficit spending and the $6.1 trillion added to the national debt on his watch.

The Rachel Maddow Show Of December 3

Rachel Maddow on her Friday show for MSNBC debunked the notion of President Ronald Reagan being a fiscal conservative when she explained with charts how the National Debt increased 186% on his watch. She also mentioned how George H.W. Bush during the 1979 republican primary for President called Reagan's economic plan and tax cuts Voodoo economics. And of course it turned out to be true.

For those readers of "Politidose" who watch the Rachel Maddow show, if what she reported sounded familiar it is because you read it hear first on "Politidose" in my commentary dated Feb. 17, 2008 titled, "The U.S. Economy: Which Party Performs Best, Part II. Be that as it may, I congratulate Rachel for bringing the people up to date in a media that has national coverage.

Rachel's report comes at the proper time because the republicans, feeling their oats since regaining the U.S. House are once again trying to influence the America people that they are the best at cutting spending and etc., even though they have no record of doing so.

The news media in general and journalists have let slip by all those years the true sad record of the republican party concerning their record deficit spending and debt. MSNBC now has one journalist, Rachel Maddow who seems to realize the problem and is willing to arm the people with facts.

Once again I congratulate Rachel for putting out this information and I hope she will continue to expose the republicans phony ideology and lies.

American Journalism: A Lack Of Facts, Courage and Guts

It is this writers opinion that American Journalism as we know it today has failed to report the facts and inform the people concerning those things that really matter and make a difference. The latest example includes the recent congressional elections that returned control of the U.S. House to the Republican party and President Obama accused by some journalists of having no guts in dealing with the republicans. (that could end up being the case but as of now it is not.) Some journalists who report the news, printed and broadcast have become the biggest hypocrites and there fore have no credibility in their reporting, yet the American people are fed their trash. Lets take some examples.

If President Obama has no guts in dealing with republicans then journalists have even less. They showed no guts in the run up to war with Iraq or during the war by buying everything Bush said about Iraq having WMD without any challenge. They even down played the U.N. inspectors who were on the ground in Iraq for 7 straight years after the Gulf war and then before the Iraq war and said that Iraq had no WMD. Then they ran with the talking points of republicans that those who oppose the war were unpatriotic. They entertained retired Generals on their TV shows nightly that repeated the Bush line about Iraq's WMD and were melted like hot cheese.

In the news now is the massive debt of the U.S. known as the National Debt. Yet journalists have no guts on the subject and have failed to point out that the record deficit spending of Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 that covered 20 years is a direct result of why the country has a debt problem. Those 3 administrations have accounted for the majority of the country's debt. It all started with Reagan. The National Debt stood at less than one trillion dollars when President Carter's last fiscal year budget ended. It is now over $13 trillion and the Reagan administration has the distinction of putting the country on the road to massive debt. And journalists have yet to really report that in-dept and how Bush 41 and Bush 43 have carried out that legacy of debt. Bush 43 carried that legacy out on a massive scale.

There is so much trash fed the American people by journalists that the Fox News Network openly lie about certain issues. They continue to run with republican talking points even when they know they are false. They like to talk tough but have no guts to debate the facts about the un-American ideology of conservatives.

Journalists have failed to point out the success the average American enjoyed during President Clinton's years and how the country grew as a whole and left no one behind. They do not have the guts or courage to compare the Clinton administration to the Bush or Reagan administrations and how Clinton reversed the 12 straight years of record deficit spending by the Reagan-Bush administrations and produced surpluses.

And the worst reporting by journalists is their constant repeating of the republican talking points about democrats being the big spenders when in fact it is republican administrations who are the biggest spenders. No guts their either. All one has to do is go on line to the CBO for the facts or read my previous past commentary noted below.

The future of journalism is in the hands of those who are now pursuing such a career. Hopefully they will tell the American story in a different way that actually reflects American ideals, truth and facts that do not threaten any one but truly informs the people so they can actually understand what is taking place and make an informed judgement.

Note 1: The National Debt: Betrayal and Devastation dated 12/6/2009

The U.S. Economy Is Back On Track

Thanks to President Obama's policies the U.S. economy is indeed kicking in gear for the long haul. The most important thing now for the President to do is stay on message and turn off any suggestions from the republicans how to create jobs since they do not have a record of doing so. The last republican administration created two recessions, an economic nightmare, record job losses, a financial bonanza for the wealthy and two tax cuts that did not produce what the republicans said they would do except help the rich get wealthier and massive deficits and debt. Trickle down economics was a failure for the third time, all under republican control.

The Federal Reserve and those cable news outlets who are predicting economic growth to be in the range of 2.50 - 2.75% for 2011 and 2012 are full of it. Economic growth will be greater than those numbers. And their predictions of unemployment still in the 9% range through 2012 is keeping with their hope of seeing the economy fail. Unemployment in 2012 will be below 9% and closer to 7%. And when 2012 is over you can boast you read it here first on politidose.

All of the actions the Obama administration took to turn the economy around are taking hold and a continued stream of positive news concerning the economy will continue to emerge. Republicans will continue to talk doom and gloom like they did when President Clinton took office. They will also continue to push tax cuts for the wealthy that do not create jobs or do anything positive for the economy. President Obama will just have to slap their little boy faces when they try too and continue his own policies. The people of America should join the President in stopping the republicans attempt to have a third recession.

Once again job creation is happening on the democratic watch like it always does and will be self sustaining with sound fiscal and economic policies. The little boy republicans would rather help the wealthy so they can collect their dividend, campaign contributions.

As noted here a few weeks ago, President Obama's first fiscal year budget ended 9/30/10 and cut federal spending by 1.6% over George W. Bush's last fiscal year budget. The republicans can't even remember when they last cut federal spending. I'll give you a hint, it has not happened in the last 50 years. Like President Clinton, it will be another democratic President, Obama who's policies will pave the way for balanced federal budgets in the future. And when it happens, you will have read that first here also on politidose.

Sarah Palin: The People Of Alaska Spoke Loud And Clear

The people who know Sarah Palin the best, the people of Alaska, rejected Palin's hand picked republican Joe Miller in Alaska's recent Senate race. Lisa Murkowski a write in candidate received by far the majority vote of the people. Joe Miller has the results of the election tied up in court, a delaying tactic by right wing conservatives that is used to delay the process.

Palin, the former governor of Alaska who resigned and quit on the people found out her star power has turned into a fizzle. Excerpts published from her recent books show the same right wing conservative ideology. Like other conservative republicans she speaks of President Kennedys remarks concerning his religion and religion in general and tries to relate that to her position, however it was the right wing conservatives who questioned President Kennedys faith and religion and the same hateful rhetoric that greeted him in Dallas. The fact is that conservatives of Palins type never supported President Kennedy because they were incapable of debating the issues with him as they are incapable of debating the issues with President Obama today.

Republicans have a history of trying to relate their ideology to democratic Presidents in order to garner votes but it won't wash. Palins latest attempt is the normal republican lies they are so use to telling. Its hell when you can not compete with the truth. And worse when you feel you have to live a phony life. The people of Alaska has Sarah Palin's number.

Korea: A Divided Country Always Spell Trouble

One country, two nations, one economically weak, the other strong, one with an excess of military capacity, one with less, both distrustful of each other and both dependent on two powerful allies, the United States and China. That describes North and South Korea.

Divided countries always spell trouble. Ask Viet Nam, Germany and the United States (during the civil war) before they became a united country. The so called experts said if Viet Nam fell the domino theory would happen and communism would be in Frisco in six months. The experts were wrong and now a united Viet Nam is a military threat to no one and the United States has close relations with that united country.

East and West Germany, both divided by the cold war and a threat to peace in Europe during that time is again one country and the threat of a war between both east and west that would have spilled over in Europe is now united and stable. The United States, united after the civil war has become a nation powerful economically and in military matters.

The recent war games by South Korea close to North Korean waters has sparked an artillery barrage from North Korea and retaliation by South Korea. The Korean war has been over 57 years and those kinds of actions have become routine. There is really nothing new there. The situation has proved that the United States and China's foreign policy in the area has been a failure concerning both Koreas. After over 57 years of foreign and military aid by the United States South Korea should be able to defend its own country with out any help from the United States. As far as China goes, they are not about to support North Korea in starting another war there.

A united Korea is what the country needs. One government for the Korean people. No more division of the land by the 30th parallel, no North or South, just the country of Korea. It should be the policy of the United States and foreign governments to keep their hands off the country and tell both the leaders of North and South Korea to reunite their country themselves with no outside interference. That is the only answer to solve the existing problem. The U.S. and its allies have the economic and military power to defend themselves regardless of the out come of who would lead a united Korea. Once both people are reunited with their families they would not support a new war.

One of the problems the U.S. faces concerning the recent attack by North Korea is that the military industrial complex want a war with North Korea like the chicken hawks clamored for war in Iraq, Iran and now North Korea. If you wonder why I use the word chicken hawks it is because the majority of those who want war never wore the uniform of their country during their generations war of after. But they love to see other people's children go to war even if its over WMD that did not exist.

The United States should lead by bringing home our 28,000 troops that are in South Korea. South Korea should be able to defend its own country. Dwight Eisenhower was elected President during the Korean war and brought it to a close as he said he would. He knew a continued military action would not unite the country and neither has the actions by the U.S., its allies or China done so in the last 57 years. A new Korean policy is obviously needed and sooner rather than later. Is any one listening?

The Past, The Present and The Future

I wrote a post on December 31, 2008 concerning the above subject matter about how the world's first civilization, the Sumerians believed the past was the key to the future. What is happening at the present time indicates we have failed to learn from the past which makes the future uncertain.

On November 22, just a few days ago, it was the 47th year of President Kennedy's assassination. When he arrived in Dallas that fateful day he was greeted by signs and posters that read, "Wanted for Treason" with his picture on it and other vile comments by Dallas's right wing conservatives.

The National Chamber of Commerce opposed President Kennedy's economic policies and so did Corporate America and spoke about the President in unflattering terms. U. S. Steel even lied to the President about not raising their steel prices and then went ahead and did so. The Oil and Gas industry was furious when the President suggested their 12-1/2% depletion allowance was obsolete and no longer justified. The President was also accused of allowing an image of Russia's hammer and sickle on a U.S. coin by the conservative right even though that is not what the image was about.

Now flash to the future, which is the present. President Obama is accused of being a Muslim, that he was born outside of the U.S., a racist and other insulting remarks by the conservative right including some news media outlets. The Chamber of Commerce and Corporate America are opposed to Obama's economic agenda and policies even though it reversed Bush's second recession and record job losses. He is called a socialist and the wealthy have opposed his desire to let the Bush tax cuts expire that covers them.

We the people have not learned a thing from the past and the past is being relived before our very own eyes. The conservative right and their anti American ideology is still with us and growing strong. The people should have buried them and their ideology theday President Kennedy was assassinated. There are many other examples that I am sure the people can relate to that took place in the past and are being repeated today. They need not be told here.

The peoples failure to learn from the past is directly related to the problems that we are faced with today. A fantastic opportunity has been lost and today the same past problems are with us, only this time they are enormous.

The Sumerians brought civilization to the world almost 6000 years ago and taught that man's destiny was not to fail because man's fate on earth could be changed or altered for the better. The present generation has failed to live up to its fate and has allowed a false ideology to spread its venom. Do we, the American people really want to pass at the chance to once and for all change our fate. Truly, the past is the key to the future. The very first civilization understood that well and has given us a warning.

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu: A Very Bad Decision

Senator Landrieu's decision to put a hold on President Obama's Jack Lew as the head of the Office of Management and Budget has seared the good over all record of the Senator. The hold was in response to the complaint by the Oil Industry that it can't get clear cut explanations on what is required for them to resume drilling operations. The moratorium has been lifted over a month ago but the Senator and oil operators are still not satisfied because they think the industry should be able to do what they want.

The hold was put on Mr. Lew even though he had nothing to do with the BP spill or the moratorium. In other words those elected officials who are beholden to the oil and gas industry will use any excuse to promote the same industry who do not have the capacity to plug an offshore spill timely or remove the spilled oil from the waters of the Gulf timely before that oil reaches shore and by their own recent statements admitted they would not have the system to do so for another 18 months. The oil lobby and their money talks. In other words if another spill takes place in the Gulf before the next 18 months, another BP situation will take place.

Senator Landrieu finally lifted the hold on November 18 according to an article in the Times Picayune. The moratorium was necessary, the hold on Mr. Lew was not. The Senator used the excuse of putting Louisiana rig workers back to work but that does not wash. If that was her interest she should have fought for BP and the oil industry to take care of those workers while the moratorium was in place. Elected officials seem to have forgotten the 11 workers killed in the BP explosion which as of this writing no one has taken responsibility for. President Obama has not forgotten. Elected officials who continue to take contributions from the oil industry and continue to do the bidding of the industry have no creditability on the BP spill in particular and the oil industry in general.

Senator Landrieu's position to use 80% of the BP fines for coastal restoration is another sham. As the Senator well knows, most of the coastal erosion, loss of wetlands and marsh in Louisiana is the result of over 50 years of drilling and production in Louisiana and offshore and the oil industry in general should pay for the damage they done, not BP fines. Louisiana's elected officials, both state and in congress have been silent all the years the oil industry has wrecked havoc on the environment. Former governor Dave Treen had the answer to the problem. It was called CWEL which was the subject of several commentaries in politidose. But elected officials don't even want to mention the word CWEL. It may get the oil industry's dander up.

It takes leadership, character and courage to stand up and be counted when the need arises, President Obama showed his with the moratorium that will make future offshore drilling safer because of the new regulations. The families of the 11 rig workers who lost their lives need to know some one actually cares.

Why Congress Should Extend Only Part Of The Bush Tax Cuts

President Obama would like to see the tax extension of those tax cuts for those making $200,000-250,000.00 or less per year and let the rest expire for good reason. Since the republicans took over the House the President seems to be willing to compromise his position, but that would be unwise because of the present economic and fiscal condition of the country. The sunset provision on the tax reflected the fact that some adjustment might have to be made when the time came, and the time has come, so now is the time to have courage and face facts.

Republican Presidents and their party have been wrong for asserting that tax cuts for the wealthy create jobs. That has been proven wrong many times over and more recently on President Bush's watch when his administration ended up with the worst job creating record since the great depression. Those tax cuts are still in effect now and are not creating any jobs. Thank heaven for President Obama's stimulus package and policy that have reversed those record job losses under the Bush administration.

The tax cuts were ill advised at the time of passage because it reduced needed revenue and put the country once again on a path to record deficit spending after record surpluses. That money could have been better spent to reduce debt, to help keep Social Security and Medicare solvent and to make sure the nation continued to balance the federal budget like the Clinton administration did. If that had happened our country and its people would not be facing the economic and job problem that are still with us today. Nor would we be facing the devastating effect of the $6.1 trillion the Bush administration added to the national debt in just 8 years in office. (Treasury Report)

If the tax cuts for the wealthy are extended it will only continue to transfer wealth from the middle class to the wealthy that began with the Reagan administration. The republican party will only be satisfied when the federal government is bankrupt. Their policies, action and talk has proven that already. The 20 year rampage of deficit spending and debt by the Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 administrations have put the country and its people in a position of having to take drastic measures to get out of the hole they created.

President Obama has to stand up to congress, especially the republican House and take the country and its people on a course in the opposite direction of republican conservative ideology. To do other wise will only finish what the republicans started. It is time for the President to be counted and expose the failed republican record every time they open their lying mouths.

Note: See my commentary on job creation for the past 80 years in a recent post.

Louisiana's David Vitter and Steve Scalise: The Problem When You are A Nobody

They both fit President Truman's description to a tee when he said the republicans stand for nothing. The President was right then and fifty years later his words still ring true for the republican party, Vitter and Scalise. They have no positive accomplishments to offer the American people or the country even when their party controls the White House and congress.

Vitter and Scalise like to talk about controlling federal spending and federal deficits, but their party holds the record for both. Ditto creating debt, ditto record job losses, ditto failed economy and it all happened on their watch. Like Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43, Vitter and Scalise would like nothing better than to bankrupt the federal government. They have never seen a republican deficit they did not love.

When you belong to the party of no, it is a reflection of not being able to compete with your peers. And when you want to see your Presidents policy and the country fail like Vitter and Scalise do it is a sign of weakness, lack of character and courage. Its hell when you have to attack some one else in order to get attention. And hell is even worse when you have no record to run on. That says it all.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue's Tax Exemption Budget

Is a 400 plus page budget that lists over $7 billion of tax exemptions and tax breaks for individuals and companies each year. This writer made several commentaries in the past that deal with the subject matter. Jindal and the legislature has kept their hands off this give away of the tax payers money while at the same time cutting the budget concerning higher education and health care in order to balance the state past several budgets that were supposed to be balanced.

The Times Picayune of 11/7 gave two examples of the above waste. (1) $660,000.00 last year for tax reductions to liquor and wine dealers because they paid their taxes accurately and timely. How about that, I wonder how the average tax payer feels about this $660,000.00 give away just because liquor and wine dealers paid their taxes on time. Does that mean they were delinquent before they received this special treatment. And what does the average tax payer receive for paying his taxes on time. The Shaft.

(2) $170 million in investment tax credits and other breaks annually for insurers that are tracked by the Department of Insurance. This waste of tax payers money is the height of obscenity. Insurers raise their rates at will and make tons of money and they get these kinds of tax breaks at the expense of taxpayers who are always faced with premium increases from their insurers.

Jindal and the legislature have not found the courage or back bone to eliminate this $7 billion give away to the people who least need it and really do something for the average Louisiana citizen. As I have commented many time here in "politidose", conservative republicans get into the average citizens pocket a hundred different kind of ways. Their slogan, no new taxes is part of their con game. Unfortunately too many voters fall for this game they play. They are ignorant of the facts and do not take the time to really absorb what is really going on in government. What a shame.

The Congressional Elections: No Mandate For The GOP

The republicans recaptured the House in the November 2nd. election but there was no mandate as the republicans and Fox News claimed. It also was not a rejection of President Obama's policies to move the country forward. The same voters who put the republicans back in power in the House, voted to keep the democrats in power in the Senate. Checkmate, but no mandate.

Since the election the republican leadership has made many public statements about not compromising with the President, scuttle health care legislation and letting the President know their sole goal is to make him a one term President. Of course that is the same position the republicans took after the President's first day in office.

President Obama set up a meeting later this month with the republican leadership but should now cancel that meeting since they can not show him any respect. The President should show leadership on the subject and tell the republican leaders he will meet with them when they publicly refute their own statements and stop acting like a bunch of asses. The President should also make sure the republicans know he does not take the elections as a mandate. That will come in 2012 when he runs for reelection.

The President should take advantage of the fact that the republicans have no record of accomplishments on balancing the federal budget, creating jobs or creating a sound economy. They also have no record of a sustained low unemployment rate. It is the democratic Presidents that excel in those area's and President Obama should remind the people every day.

The republicans see that the economy is picking up speed and soon hiring will bring down the unemployment rate. They hate that and will be trying to avoid anything good happening for the people and the country. The President is in a position to tell the republicans to shove it when they try to reduce taxes again for the wealthy. Bush and the republicans had their chance with two tax cuts that gave the country record deficits, debt, a devastated economy and record job losses.

Expose the republicans for what they are Mr. President, liars and a fraud.

An Uninformed Electorate: Emotions Over Facts

A case can be made that voters in the November congressional election voted their emotions rather than checking a candidate and his party's record. One can even say that the constant personal and political attacks on a daily basis by the republican party in general and their leaders inside and outside of congress in particular against President Obama and democrats played a major role for emotions to take over at the voting booth. The conservative news media and the wealth lobby also played a major role to inflame those same emotions.

One can also understand how emotions can run high when the economy is not in full swing and jobs are hard to find. That is no excuse however for not being an informed voter. If jobs and the economy are really what was behind returning republicans to a majority in the House, the voters forgot history and the republicans past record, especially their record under President Bush which still should be fresh in their minds.

The Bush Presidency and the republican party who rubber stamped his failed economic and fiscal policies created economic devastation that takes the country back to the Hoover administration and the great depression. It is ironic that many of those republicans who rubber stamped Bush's failed policy will be leading the House once again.

The people's emotions also over shadowed the fact that the Obama administrations policies reversed the massive job losses under Bush, ended the recession and a negative GDP for the economy. No one can question the slowness of the recovery but should understand it is related to the severity of what happened to the economy. Emotions will not hasten the recovery and the Obama administration has never stood pat on trying to create more jobs for the people. What was lacking was help from the republicans in congress and their desire to see the economy fail on Obama's watch.

After the election Tuesday the republican leadership said they would not compromise with the President. So what is new? Is that what the voters voted for? Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell told the Heritage Foundation President Obama would have to come to him. Like conservatives in general, McConnell thinks he is elite and better than anyone else. The President should tell McConnell to go play with himself. (This writer would be a little more nasty)

The President needs to take another page out of President Truman's book on how to deal with the republican party. President Truman said, "To Hell with them, when history is written, they will be the sons of bitches, not I." Give the republicans hell President Obama, you have the power to do so.

Job Creation For Presidential Terms: 1929-2008

This writer has commented in the past how Republican administrations have no record of balancing the federal budget since Eisenhower in 1960 and no record of creating jobs to sustain the economy on their watch. Republicans like to say they are better at creating jobs but the record and facts say otherwise. Republicans also say tax cuts create jobs but Bush's two tax cuts did no such thing and he left office with the lowest job creation record since the great depression with only 1.1 millions jobs created in eight years.

Below gives the reader the job creation record of those Presidents who served from 1929 to 2008, a period of 80 years. Both Democrats and Republicans served 40 years each during that time period.


Herbert Hoover 1929-1933 Four Years Jobs Lost 6.4 million

Franklin Roosevelt 1933-1945 Twelve Years Jobs Created 16.2 million

Roosevelt-Truman 1945-1953 Eight Years Jobs Created 8.2 million

Dwight Eisenhower 1953-1961 Eight Years Jobs Created 3.5 million

Kennedy-Johnson 1961-1969 Eight Years Jobs Created 15.4 million

Nixon-Ford 1969-1977 Eight Years Jobs Created 11.2 million

Jimmy Carter 1977-1981 Four Years Jobs Created 10.3 million

Ronald Reagan 1981-1989 Eight Years Jobs Created 16.1 million

George H.W. Bush 1989-1993 Four Years Jobs Created 2.5 million

Bill Clinton 1993-2001 Eight Years Jobs Created 22.7 million

George W. Bush 2001-2008 Eight Years Jobs Created 1.1 million

The numbers reveal that Democratic administrations out performed Republican administrations by a wide margin 72.8 million jobs to the Republicans 28 million jobs. In other words job creation under Democratic administrations can be described as robust and under Republican administrations as anemic at best. (So much for tax cuts.)

It should be noted that job creation under President Clinton's eight years in office exceeded the combined total of jobs created under Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 in the 20 years they served. Also noted is the fact that the Clinton and Carter administrations (12 years) created more jobs than all the above Republican administrations in the 40 years they served.

The above job creation numbers prove with out a doubt how Republicans are willing to lie over and over again to the American people and the nation. It is their M.O. and extends to almost all of their rhetoric including deficit spending and debt.

Case closed.


Job Creation information above taken from Wikipedia.

The Economy Is Indeed Improving

There has been some good news lately concerning the economy but the people don't hear much about it because of the congressional elections. The news media's attention is the hype that go with elections and of course those candidates who are running against the President do not want to talk about any economic good news.

Unemployment claims are down across the nation as a whole. The auto industry just announced they will be opening up some closed assembly lines and hire back workers. Overall retail sales have been up and it is anticipated that department stores across the nation will be hiring more people for the holiday season. Many of those jobs will be part time but things are looking up for retail sales. Analysis for the oil and gas industry just announced that offshore operators were getting ready to jump back into the Gulf of Mexico deep water drilling big time. U.S. manufacturing out put has increased for the past 15 straight months. A sure sign that the economy is growing.

General Electric's CEO Jeffrey Immelt said his company will soon place the largest order in history for electric vehicles. "Tens of thousands" of the vehicles in about a week. He said half of GE's sales force of 45,000 will drive electric vehicles. This will fit in with GE's plan to expand its clean energy technology. That spending will create jobs and fall in line with the Obama's administration policy of switching to clean energy and creating an industry that will take the country into the future.

The negative voices about the economy, the stimulus and the President's policies have been proven wrong. It may be too late to save some political jobs in today's election but once again it will be a democratic administration who turned things around for the country and its people.

If the republican party takes control of one of the Houses of Congress they will keep up their attacks and try to continue to kill any legislation proposed by Obama. The President will need to deal with the republican party like President Truman did and call them out for what they are. Liars and creators of debt.

The Rosetta Stone To Bill O'Reilly Etal

Etal is used at the end of a name to indicate "and others." In this case I am referring to the likes of Sean Hannity, Neil Cavuto and Rush Limbaugh who fit O'Reilly's right wing ideology. I was once encouraged to listen to those folks over a period of time to understand where they were coming from but a few minutes was enough for me.

When people in their profession devote their whole show to personal attacks and negativity it is easy to understand their lack of character and courage. One does not need to be educated to constantly be engaged in their kind of journalism. That speaks load and clear about their problem. They feel inadequate. Lets just look at one area where their expressions always show their feelings of being inadequate. Many democrats who have been their target of personal attacks and negative comments wore the uniform of their country during their generations war. O'Reilly etal cut and ran during their generations war and never wore the uniform of their country. Their motive is to try and destroy the character of those they attack because they feel so inadequate when they compare their personal lives to those liberals that did the patriotic thing and served their country.

Bill O'Reilly even said on his show a few years ago to Bill Maher. "The reason I did not join the military during the Viet Nam war was because I had a buddy who came back from Viet Nam and told me not to join. What a pitiful excuse to cut and run. It fits O'Reilly's character.

O'Reilly etal can not debate the issues. That is another reason for their personal attacks and negative reporting. They also mislead their viewing audience with inaccurate statements that have been pointed out on many occasions. Another indication of their inadequate feelings. That is also why the whole time ( 8 years) Bush ran the country they spent their time attacking democrats. They could not articulate what the Bush administration stood for or accomplished. They dare not touch upon the record deficit spending and debt Bush left the country to dangle in and the record recession and job losses Bush presided over.

It must be hell to feel so inadequate and hide behind a phony ideology of personal attacks and negative reporting. But the real telling story behind their feeling of being inadequate is they want badly to see the United States fail on the democratic watch. They care nothing about the country and its people. What a sad bunch they are. The economy and job creation is coming back on the democratic watch and they are scared to death because it will remind the people once again what party has a record of economic accomplishments.

O'Reilly etal news media ratings may be high but that only reflects the fact that most of their audience are followers and not leaders, in other words ditto heads who can not think for themselves. Its really hell when you have no self esteem.

Election Day 2010 Predictions

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

Republicans are poised to win control over the House of Representatives. To do so, they will need to win a net of 39 seats. In the previous wave election of 1994, Republicans picked up 54. This years seems no different. My guess is that the GOP picks up between 49 and 60 seats, although a net gain of ten more or ten less is not implausible. There isn’t much of a race-by-race analysis to take place here as House races are a lot less about local issues than Senate and Governor races. A horrible economy compared with tepid approval for the President means Republicans will win 75% or so of competitive seats. The challenge, however, will be retaining these seats in 2012, when the economy should have improved and Obama’s reelection will draw out young and minority voters that propelled the now endangered Democrats to victory in 2008. It’s not impossible to conceive that the wave that pushes so many Republicans into the House this year will leave only a few left after 2012 when the wave recedes.

THE SENATE

Overview: The Republicans need to pick up 10 seats to control the Senate. The following are the most competitive races (all currently held by Democrats), in order least likely to flip to most likely, along with my predictions:

1. Deleware

This is the battle for Joe Biden’s Senate seat. Christine O’Donnel is the GOP nominee, while New Castle County Executive Chris Coons is the Democrat’s. Had Congressman Mike Castle defeated tea partier O’Donnel for the nomination (as virtually everyone had expected), Castle would win this seat hands down (and Republicans would have a very good chance to win the Senate). But O’Donnel represents the extreme wing of the extreme faction of the GOP. She has no chance of winning in a moderate state like Deleware. Coons (D) wins.

2. Connecticut:

With the retirement of Chris Dodd, Democratic Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is battling Republican Linda McMahon. McMahon, the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, has run a horrible campaign and lags by about 8 points in the polls. Blumenthal (D) wins.

3. California:

Barbara Boxer, a long time incumbent and one of the most liberal U.S. senators, is facing a tough re-election against former HP CEO Carly Fiorina. Although this race will be much, much closer than the previous two, the strong democratic lean of California along with Fiorina’s abysmal campaigning should give Boxer the victory. Boxer (D) wins.

4. West Virginia:

Republicans saw a great pick-up opportunity when Senator Robert Byrd died earlier this year. Governor Joe Manchin won the Democratic nomination and faces Republican businessman John Raese. In a normal year, Manchin, the most popular governor in the country with a 70% approval rating, would win easily. But, Raese has been able to successfully portray Manchin as another vote for Obama if elected. Still, Manchin’s immense popularity should pull him over the finish line, but it will be close. Manchin (D) wins.

5. Washington.

Longtime incumbent Patty Murray is being challenged by businessman Dino Rossi. In a situation reversed from just about any other state this cycle, both candidates are well liked by the public. Polls have been all over the place, with some showing Murray leading by double digits and others with Rossi ahead a few points. While Washington is a fairly liberal state, the GOP wave is still a threat. I’ll go with Murray, but if the wave is large enough, Rossi can pull it out. Murray (D) wins.

6. Illinois.

This is for Obama’s Senate seat and pits Democratic State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulious against Republican Congressman Mark Kirk. Again, this should be an easy Democratic win in a normal year, but this is not a normal year. In addition, both candidates are severely flawed: Giannoulias has ties to mob bankers, while Kirk has lied several times about his military record. Polls show Kirk up by about 4 points. The major caveat, however, is that about 15% of the electorate remains undecided, even with only a couple days left. The race will be decided by those undecideds. My hunch is that they will break for the Democrat, and Giannoulious should eek out a win, but barely. It would be no surprise, however, if Kirk wins. Giannoulious (D) wins.

7. Colorado.

Its Democratic incumbent Michael Bennet vs. Republican district attorney Ken Buck. Had anyone but Buck gotten the nomination, they would be ahead by double digits, but Buck is a seriously flawed candidate, making many extreme statements that have come back to haunt him. Polls have shown both candidates literally tied for the past month. Still, Colorado is a fairly conservative state, and the GOP wave should put Buck over the top. Buck (R) wins.

8. Pennsylvania.

It’s a battle of Congressmen as Joe Sestak (D) battles Pat Toomey (R). Toomey held about an 8 point lead since the start of the campaign, but recently Sestak has improved his position. This race will come down to turnout; if Sestak can get a high enough turnout in Philly and Pittsburg, he can possibly still win, but it looks unlikely at this point. Toomey (R) wins.

9. Wisconsin.

Russ Feingold (D) seems likely to lose his seat to businessman Ron Johnson. Although Feingold remains popular, this is a case of the GOP wave just being too heigh to overcome in a swing state like Wisconsin. Johnson (R) wins.

The Ultimate Showdown --- Nevada.

I put Nevada separate from the list because it really does deserve its unique spot. It’s as much of a coin flip as you can get. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is incredibly unpopular as Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation. He was considered dead-on-arrival for much of the past two years. Then, in June, in a shocking upset, tea party favorite Sharron Angle defeated establishment Republican Sue Lowden for the Republican nomination. Suddenly, Reid went from being down double digits to being tied. In recent weeks, however, Angle has moved into a slight lead. If Reid can get his base out, and he does have the most impressive get-out-the-vote organization in the nation, he can pull it out. Also, there is an option on the Nevada ballot for “none-of-the above,” which could get as much as five or six percent of the vote, considering both Reid and Angle have unfavorable ratings in the 50s. Out of all the predictions, I am most unsure about this one, but after overlooking the early voting numbers, it looks like the Reid machine is hard at work, so I’ll say...Reid (D) wins.

Conclusion:

In the end, its not enough for the GOP. They will make significant gains in the Senate, winning the seats I predicted here as well as picking up Arkansas, Indiana, and North Dakota, which simply aren’t competitive. The Democrats will hold on in the Senate, the only question is, will Reid still be the majority leader? I predict he will win, but if doesn’t, look for Chuch Schumer of New York to be the new Majority Leader.

Another First For Politidose

I have written several past commentaries, the latest dated April 8, 2008 (yes, way back then) titled The Iraq-Iran Alliance and pointed out no matter how and when the Iraq war ends, Iraq and Iran will be close allies and the fruits of the billions of dollars the U.S. spent to rebuild Iraq will be enjoyed by Iraq and Iran. Now comes a story out of the Associated Press dated 10/22/2010 that reports the following.

American influence has so dwindled in Iraq over the last several months that Iraqi lawmakers and political leaders say they no longer follow Washington's advice for forming a government. Instead, Iraqis are turning to neighboring nations, and especially Iran, for guidance, casting doubt on the future of the American role in this strategic country after a grinding war that killed more than 4,400 U.S. soldiers.

The March parliamentary elections in Iraq failed to produce a winner and Iraq has failed to heed the U.S. advise to form a government. Iraqi politicians say they will pick new leaders on their own timetable. Keep in mind the Sunni backed political coalition won the most votes in the March election and Al-Sadr, whose hardline Shiite followers are close to Iran has been talking to Iraq's al-MAliki to form a new government.

The Bush administration outsmarted itself when it started a war and occupation in Iraq over WMD that did not exits and tried to remake Iraq in the warped image Bush created. The American loss of lives, the wounded, the financial cost to the U.S. and its people are a tragedy that will occupy our thoughts for a very long time. The U.S. and its people deserve better.

President Obama's First Fiscal Year Budget

Once again the republican cries about federal spending under the Obama administration confirm their present and past lies to the American people about who the big spenders really are. Any one who follows this writers site knows of the republican lies. See Note 1 below for past comments.

President Obama's first fiscal year budget that ended Sept. 30, 2010 came in with a federal deficit of $1.29 trillion, smaller than expected and less than President Bush's record federal deficit of his last fiscal year budget ending Sept. 30, 2009 that came in at a record $1.42 trillion. The republican party's record of being the greatest deficit spender in history is still intact.

Federal spending in Obama's first fiscal budget year fell 1.6% from Bush's last fiscal year budget. Federal spending under the Obama administration was $3.46 trillion. Under the Bush administration it was $3.51 trillion. In other words federal spending continues to be a republican party staple that identifies their party for what it really stands for. The decrease in Obama's first fiscal year budget is even more impressive when one understands the terrible economic conditions Bush left behind.

When you compare Bush's first fiscal year budget that ended Sept. 30, 2002 to President Clinton's last federal budget year that ended Sept. 30, 2001, federal spending was up 8%. Federal spending under Bush that fiscal year was $2.01 trillion to Clinton's $1.86 trillion. And Bush inherited the greatest economy and job creation, lowest unemployment rate in over 30 years, record surpluses and a reduction of the national debt.

One of the main reasons this economic slow down is taking time to recover is due to the fact that during Bush's eight years in office a massive amount of wealth was transferred from the middle class to the wealthy. Also eight straight years of record federal deficits and a increase of over $6 trillion in the national debt. That combination was a betrayal of the United States and its people.

Note 1: The U.S. Economy: Which Party Performs Best, Parts I, II,III dated 1/27/08, 2/17/08, 2/25/08 and Recap and Conclusion dated 3/2/08

The Fiscal Legacy of President George W. Bush dated 10/30/09

Federal Spending: Facts vs. Myth dated 10/31/09

National Debt: Betrayal and Devastation dated 12/6/09

Governor Bobby Jindal: Louisiana's Failed Leader

On Friday October 22 Jindal announced another round of budget cuts totaling $157 million and once again health care and higher education bears the burden of those cuts. (Times Picayune article of 10/23.) The cuts will force the layoff of at least 400 state workers. The article stated the reductions were necessary to plug a $107 million deficit left over from the 2009-2010 fiscal year budget that ended June 30, 2010.

That 2009-2010 budget was announced as being in balance at the time by Jindal like his other budgets but half way through those budget years they were all out of balance by millions of dollars and Jindal knew they would be. Jindal is no fiscal conservative and is a mirror image of the national republican party who has not balanced one federal budget since Eisenhower in 1960. In fact Jindal served in Congress during the Bush administration when the republicans controlled the Congress and was silent the whole time the Bush administration was running up record federal deficits and debt.

The unemployment rate in Louisiana at the end of January 2008 was 3.8%. (Jindal took office that same month.) The unemployment rate at the end of August 2010 was 7.6% with the number of people unemployed at 158,914, the highest since Katrina in 2005, double the unemployment since Governor Blanco left office in January of 2008. It seems Mr. Jindal is waiting for the National economy to jump start Louisiana's economy instead of doing his job for the state and its people.

Governor Jindal said people should not whine and complain about his budget cuts and that leaders should provide vision and leadership. Then the governor flew off to a political fundraiser in Pennsylvania after the announcements. Another one of the many out of state political trips in the last several weeks. Vision and leadership has escaped Jindal and so has courage.

Conservative republicans have on thing in common, an ideology that they govern by that is anti middle class. President Clinton left office with a record economy, record job creation, record low unemployment, balanced budgets, surpluses and a reduction of the National debt. George Bush blew all of that in his first year in office and continued until his record recession, record job losses, record federal deficits and debt and escalating unemployment rate. The transfer of wealth from the middle class to the wealthy was complete when he left office.

Governor Blanco left Jindal a billion dollar surpluss, a 3.8% unemployment rate and a fiscal house that was in order. Like Bush, Jindal blew all of that with his failed ideology and policies, lack of leadership, lack of courage and a desire to roll back all the progress Louisiana made since Katrina.

Jindal and his administration continue to give tax breaks and other incentives to corporate America under the guise of job creation but unemployment as the numbers show continue to go up in Louisiana. At the end of August 2010 there were 1,940,093 people employed in Louisiana. When Jindal took office in January 2008, there were 1,972,655 employed, a decrease of 32,552. So much for job creation by this administration.

Jindal's ambition is national which is confirmed by the number of out of state fund raising trips he takes part in. Like the national republican party, Jindal is out to bankrupt government, only this time it is Louisiana and its people. Wake up Louisiana, conservative republicans have no record of fiscal responsibility, a growing economy or steady job creation. There record has always been the transfer of wealth from the middle class to the wealthy.

Note: Employment and unemployment numbers taken from Historical changes, Louisiana's unemployment rate.

The Deep Water Drilling Moratorium Is Lifted

President Obama's administration lifted the Moratorium on offshore drilling ahead of schedule but as usual, the oil industry, some Louisiana elected officials in and out side of congress and some in the business community who railed against the moratorium are still not satisfied. U.S.
Senator Mary Landrieu still refuses to relinquish her hold on the nomination of Jacob Lew to be director of the federal office of Management and Budget. A position so extreme that it completely changes what the Senator stands for.

Those people now say although the moratorium has been lifted there is a defacto moratorium because the new rules on offshore drilling permitting by the government are to restrictive for the rigs to be put in service timely. The oil industry has proved they will not be satisfied with any thing that has to do with regulation. They want to be free to do as they please. Those elected officials who opposed the moratorium are just as bad because they let the oil industry lobby money influence their decisions. Business people in general usually back the position of industry even when they are wrong.

The Obama administration has to carry through in making sure regulations are in place that truly regulate the oil industry and its cowboy attitude and operations, anything less is unacceptable. Keep in mind the oil industry has been operating offshore in shallow and deep waters for over 50 years and still do not have any system available to timely plug a offshore leak such as the BP one, nor do they have the system or people available to timely remove any spilled oil from the waters of the Gulf before that water reaches shore.

On the contrary several major oil companies recently announced they will have a system available in 18 months. In the mean time there could be more blow outs and leaking of oil. And this is the same industry who has assured the people for over 50 years they could handle any problems timely. The industry has not even earned the trust of its own people. That really says it all.

The Numbers Do Not Add Up For New Orleans Sales Tax Collections

Does any one remember the bill of goods that was sold to the people of New Orleans concerning the building of the Superdome in order to obtain a professional sports franchise to move to the city? It went some thing like this and came from the mouths of our political, civic and business leaders and yes the Chamber of Commerce also.

The building of the Superdome and obtaining a professional franchise would bring a tremendous amount of increase to the City's sales tax revenue that would allow the city to better serve its citizens and improve city services and etc. Well lets look at the latest sales tax revenue as published in the Times Picayune dated 10/10/10 covering the first quarter of 2005, 06, 07, 08 and 09, a period of five years. Sales tax collections for Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany parish are as follows.

Jefferson $507.2 million
St. Tammany 239.4 million
Orleans 167.3 million

The Dome stadium is located in New Orleans and the Saints play in New Orleans along with the Hornets in the first quarter. The Sugar Bowl is played in the first quarter and of course Mardi Gras falls in the first quarter. We have also had a final four in the first quarter. Yet Jefferson and St. Tammany parish beat our tails off in collecting sales tax revenue by a wide margin.

The Bush recession officially started in December 2007. The Sales tax collections above cited took place 3 years before the recession and also during the recession so don't try to blame it on the recession. Don't try to blame it on Katrina either.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will be a great progressive Mayor for the City of New Orleans and will have to address this sales tax problem. And those who support the notion that the Superdome, Saints, the Sugar Bowl and etc. will greatly add to the city's sales tax collection are wrong. The Saints play 10 days a year in the Superdome and possibly 12 days if they have home field advantage in the playoff. It is obvious our priorities are misplaced as a full time business open for business 365 days a year would produce more sales tax than the Saints or any other professional franchise. Yet Mr. Benson and the owner of the Hornets are given millions of dollars of Corporate Welfare every year when they should be self supporting.

Jefferson Parish and St Tammany Parish should never be able to beat the City of New Orleans like a drum in sales tax collections for any quarter. That says it all.

Social Security: No COLA Increases For 2011?

It has been reported by the Associated Press Social Security recipients will not receive any adjustments for the coming year. If so it will be the second year in a row. The culprit is inflation that triggers the cost of living adjustment, or COLA as it is called. Like last year, the trustees who oversee Social Security project there will be no COLA for 2011 because of the inflation trigger.


The republican party and conservatives of all stripes are trying to blame the President for the COLA adjustments, however the law covering COLA were adopted by Congress under the Republican administration of Nixon-Ford in 1975 so this news is not new. It was good law because inflation was a problem at the time. The problem now is that the Bush recession and record job losses have been so severe there has been no inflation growth the past two years. Republicans talk a good game but it ends there.

Social Security recipients are better off keeping their monthly Social Security benefits without the benefit of COLA rather than have the Republican party privatize Social Security with Wall Street. That is what was behind the 20 years of record deficit spending and debt created by the administrations of Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43. Their record deficit spending and debt was to deprive the federal government of revenue so Social Security and Medicare would have to fold.

The best thing Social Security recipients can do if they want to continue receiving their benefits is to vote Democratic. It was President Obama's stimulus plan that gave the people on Social Security $250.00 last year. A stimulus plan opposed by the republicans inside and out side of Congress. That says it all.

Iraq: The Kind Of War That Never Should Be Repeated

After seven years and five months the U.S. ended its combat role in Iraq. 50,000 support troops will stay until the end of 2011. The U.S. lost over 4400 good Americans in that war that were killed and over 30,000 wounded, many who will never walk again on their own. Many of our troops served two and three deployments in that war.

The American people including our servicemen were told by President Bush that Iraq was a threat to our national security because they possessed WMD and that Iraq reconstituted its nuclear program, but those weapons and program never existed at any time during the Bush administration. The Bush administration even tried to plant the seed in the American people's mind that Saddam played a part in the tragic attacks on 9-11. That too never existed.

Such a war must never be repeated again by an American President nor should any future President think he can reshape a country by launching such a war. President Obama should do all in his power to bring the rest of our support troops home before the end of 2011, the sooner the better. Iraq still has no government six months after their election and our support troops still there are bound to get caught up in Iraq's various squabbles. After seven years and five months what else can we do to help Iraq? Very little actually.

The shame in the war in Iraq is that our leaders took advantage of our men and women in uniform who not only go where they are told to go, they serve with honor, do their jobs and never complain. They ended up paying the ultimate price with their lives in this unnecessary war over WMD that did not exist. Just as shameful was the news media and many retired generals in the run up to the war who were telling the American people they knew for sure Iraq had WMD. They themselves played into the hand of President Bush and also took advantage of our men and women in uniform and their devotion to duty.

Never, ever again should America let history repeat itself in regard to this war.

Another Silly Times Picayune Editorial

The Times Picayune in its editorial opinion of September 2 under the heading "Seafood Image Is BP's To Fix" is another reminder how the newspaper, like many Louisiana elected officials want to pass everything off to BP and the federal government. This time they want BP to pay for fixing the image of Louisiana seafood being safe to consume.

Never mind that federal and state inspectors have found the seafood to be safe and we in Louisiana are eating it daily. (This writer had a catfish poboy just yesterday and President Obama had a seafood poboy last week) More area's of the Gulf have also been opened for commercial and recreational fishing but we are told customers out side of Louisiana do not feel comfortable in eating the seafood.

That means the state, the seafood industry in general (including restaurants) our tourist commission and yes even the Times Picayune has to be the ones to get the word out and pay for it. Leaving the problem up to BP won't cut it and neither will passing the buck and acting like cry babies. Louisiana's seafood industry is a $4 billion enterprise says the TP editorial and in this writers opinion it is up to Louisiana to take the responsibility to see it stays that way.

It is ironic that editorial editors of the TP don't blame BP for the moratorium, they blame President Obama, but they blame BP and want to hold them liable for the perception and image out side Louisiana that Gulf seafood is not safe to eat. I guess the TP realized it would be to much of a stretch to blame Obama for the perception and image so they looked to BP. The TP has adopted the methods of some of our political leaders, "pass the blame to some one else."

BP needs to be held accountable for the damage resulting from its rig explosion and the leaking of oil in the Gulf and the damage it caused and that is what should be pursued. President Obama and the federal government has handled the problem well and has been and still is engaged. It is time for the TP, Louisiana's elected officials and the seafood industry to do its part and assume the responsibility of getting the correct story out concerning Louisiana seafood to out of state customers.

The Moratorium On Deep Water Drilling In The Gulf Is Working

The Times Picayune of 8/27 carried a story concerning the above that hardly was noted and given little play. Probably because the story supported the moratorium and too many Louisiana loud mouths once again were proven wrong, including the editorial section of the Times Picayune.

The Bipartisan Policy Center issued a 21 page report that responded to a request by The National Oil Spill Commission. A part of their report said. The Department of Interior's drilling moratorium has served the productive purpose of allowing time for both industry and government to prepare for a safer, more vigilant and dependable future for U.S. offshore drilling. It also said: New, higher standards imposed by the Department of the Interior since the moratorium was imposed will achieve a significant and beneficial reduction of risks and will provide an adequate margin of safety to responsibly allow the resumption of deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

The most important part of the report said: One value judgment we did make is that the need to impose an industrywide moratorium does demonstrate how profoundly unprepared the industry and government was for an incident of this magnitude.

If those industry representatives, elected officials and the Times Picayune had their way, there would have been no moratorium and safety issues involved in offshore drilling would never have been addressed. The death of 11 rig workers would have been only a foot note forgotten by those who support the status quo.

President Obama stood tall and showed his leadership and courage. Thanks for a job well done Mr. President.

The Con Game Is On To Pay To Clean Up Louisiana's Coast, Wetlands and Marsh

There are those elected officials in Louisiana who are looking for the federal government and BP to pay the cost of cleaning up and restore Louisiana's coast, wetlands and marsh that have been damaged and destroyed. Never mind that the oil industry operations in South Louisiana for the last 50 plus years is one of the major culprits as reported many times because of dredging canals and the laying of pipe lines.

The State of Louisiana regulates the on shore drilling in South Louisiana, not the federal government and our elected officials have done nothing to hold the industry liable for the damage they caused. Louisiana officials now want the federal government and BP to pay for it all. Former Governor David Treen saw what was happening years ago and supported legislation called CWEL. (Coastal Wetlands Environment Levy). It was and is a sound way to levy a fee on the companies responsible for destroying our lands. But Louisiana did not and still does not have the leaders with the courage to enact CWEL, or any other remedy.

Those so called leaders want the federal government to use the majority of what ever fines are levied against BP in violation of the Clean Water Act. Make no mistake, BP should be held accountable for all its spill responsibilities and the federal government should do the same but the oil and gas industry as a whole needs to be held accountable for their damage caused over the last 50 plus years.

The BP explosion and resulting oil spill has brought out the worst in some of Louisiana's political leaders. They have jumped on the money bandwagon and as of this writing are still receiving political contributions from the oil lobby and the industry. If they had their way, there would be no moratorium and it would be business as usual with no accountability. That says it all.

The NFL: A Regular Season With 18 Games

Peter Finney, sports journalist for the Times Picayune in his article of August 29 seems to think so and indicates that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell thinks so. A twenty game full season is nothing new, it has been around for over 30 years in the form of 6 and 14 and 4 and 16, the latter being the case at the present time.

Every one knows that preseason games were established to put more wealth in the owners pocket but Mr. Finney and other sport journalists have really been silent on the matter over the years just like they have been silent concerning the millions of dollars of taxpayers money that the state has used to give Corporate Welfare to multi millionaire owner Tom Benson. Sport journalist keep their mouth shut concerning such matters because their livelyhoods are interwound with NFL sports.

It should be noted that Mr. Finney in his article never mentioned Mr. Benson's name or indicated he asked Mr. Benson to vote against the proposed 18 game regular schedule. As for the fact that preseason games cost the fans the same as a regular season game, that has been a rip off since day one, but you will not hear sport journalists make that statement.

The cure for the NFL and other sports is for elected officials to tell pro sports owners to go take a hike when they ask for Corporate Welfare. If the game can not support itself, let the owners figure that out like any other business. You will not hear sport journalists make that statement either, they are too embedded with pro sports. That is a sad chapter in pro sports. The players are just as bad as the owners and deserve no pity if they do not stop the NFL from implementing a 18 game regular schedule with two preseason games. Players have become greedy, just like the owners.