The Oakland Raiders 35 - The New Orleans Saints 34

Bounty gate continues to take its toll as the Raiders beat the Saints in the Dome on Sunday afternoon.  The Saints loss was typical of past seasons in the last four years.  Beyond the loss lies the same problems the Saints had last year.  A questionable defense and a offense that seems to think all they have to do is show up and a head coach who lost credibility with Bounty gate.

Brees passed for 400 yards again against a defense that seemed to have as many penalties as plays, especially defensive holding which gave the Saints an automatic first down every time and allowed the Saints to continue their drive.  But in the end the Saints could not deliver on their final possession and put the field goal kicker out of range that field goals have become routine.  Not many 61 yard field goals are attempted every week in the NFL.  The prolific offense of Payton and Brees (N.O. sports writers signature saying) took place against a Raider defense in need of help but was not prolific on the final drive of the game.

After the game the New Orleans sports writers were up to their same old cliches and hype.  One said the fans should expect the game to be a norm for the Saints this year.  Their analysis after the game was different than what they wrote about all during spring season.  Which shows they still can not be objective in their reporting.  The most glaring problem that this writer observed while watching the game at home was the coaches and players actions on the sidelines.  They though they had the game won but forgot you have to play the full 60 minutes.

But hey, Brees will still receive the $30 million signing bonus that was reported in the Times Picayune.  His first quarter turn over that resulted in a Raider field goal made a difference in the outcome of the game.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Congressional Republicans Say They Will Censure President Obama

The Obama administration paid Iran $1.7 billion to settle claims related to the incomplete sale of military weapons before the Iranian Revolution in 1979.  The Treasury Department with held $400 million of that payment to make sure Iran released the four American hostages they were holding.  Republicans in congress said that was a ransom payment and that the republican controlled U.S. House would vote to censure the President this week.

Of course, with holding the $400 million was a reasonable and smart move by the administration to make sure Iran complied on their release of the hostages.  It was also the American thing to do and not ransom.  There are 3 reasons why the republicans want to call it ransom.  (1)  It is an election year and they will try to damage the President and Clinton any way they can.  (2)  President Reagan sold arms to Iran in exchange for hostages in the Iran-Contra scandal while Iran was on the list as a sponsor of terror.  It is the republican way of trying to redeem Reagan's decision because Reagan told the people he would never negotiate with terrorists, denied he did and then had to admit the truth.  (3)  Republicans still want to create an issue to scuttle the treaty with Iran which is working.  That ticks them off because they know President George W. Bush did nothing to stop the advance of N. Korea or Iran's nuclear programs.

The republican controlled congress is still a do nothing congress so they think filling up time with a censure vote of the President is an accomplishment.  The November elections need to return congress to democratic control and bring back a congress that is a working congress for all the people and the country.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio