Fun With Dick & Jane

There was a lot to talk about today. MA just passed a $27B budget which adds an additional billion dollars in taxes on the Massachusetts citizens. Dick added that in addition to a 25% increase in sales tax, Governor Patrick still wants a 19 cent gas tax.

I wanted to talk about the Cap and Trade bill, including my experience contacting Representative Richard Neal’s office last Friday. Representative Neal is my representative in the 2nd District. When I inquired whether representative Neal would vote for the Cap and Trade bill, his staff member replied: “I don’t speak for Representative Neal.” I then asked if knew whether Representative Neal supported Cap and Trade and again he said “I don’t speak for him.” I was apparently under the mistaken impression that Representative Neal worked for me. Apparently accountability to his constituents does not include telling us where he stands on an issue.

We need some new politicians.

I mentioned Monica Conyer’s guilty plea to conspiracy to commit bribery last week. While she is awaiting sentencing, her husband, Representative John Conyers, in charge of ethics in the House, decided that he would halt any investigation into ACORN’s suspected use of the President’s donor list to funnel funds to the Obama campaign illegally. Now at least the people charged with sentencing representative Conyer’s wife will no linger have to worry about an ethics investigation of the executive branch. We will see if her sentence reflects the executive’s gratitude.

We talked about the President’s reversal on his pledge to not raise taxes on the middle class, as well as his immediate support for the Honduras dictator in consort with Chavez and Castro, and compared his response to how long it took him to come out for the Iranians.

We hashed over the Ricci decision, and the Court’s chastisement of Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor for her failure to avail the firefighters with due process.

There was more, but you will have to listen!

Enjoy!

Once again Iran dominated the beginning of the show.  We discussed what we know so far, the fact that we are learning what we know from the “new media” particularly “Twitter”, and the President’s tepid, almost uninvolved response. (The President finally changed his response while we were doing the program)

We talked about President Sarkozy’s declaration that he wants to ban the Burkha:

“In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity … The burqa is not a religious sign, it’s a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement — I want to say it solemnly, it will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic.”

And compared that with President Obama’s words in Cairo:

“I know there is debate about this issue. I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality”

This brought us to an interesting discussion about freedom of religion.

After the break, Dick wanted to bring us up to date on Governor Patrick’s machinations, as well his announcement that despite record low approval ratings he plans to run again. Next, Dick, our resident democrat, rued the fact that no republicans run in Massachusetts. I suggested that might have something to do with the democrats success at demonizing any republican opponent ala Alinsky. As a result, most republicans just don’t think it is worth it.

We talked about the “Man-cession” caused by the majority of lay-offs occurring in male dominated sectors, i.e. construction and manufacturing. I reiterated my belief that it’s tough to be a white man in the USA these days.

We also talked briefly about the Worcester Tea Party last Saturday and the ongoing media love-fest for our current president particularly ABC’s scheduled coverageT today.

The hour went by quickly. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Today’s show was one of my favorites.  We spent a lot of time talking about Iran.   We talked about Ahmadinejad and Moussavi but mostly about the brave people in the streets.    We talked about the President’s stunning lack of response, and the regime itself.  It’s my position that democracy in Iraq is spilling over (as planned) and we should be encouraging the dissidents.

(I was also on Wednesday morning talking about Iran again with Peter and a guest, professorJeffrey Addicott.  He also talked about how this Iranian crisis is such a wasted opportunity for the administration.)

We talked about the firing of the Inspector General Walpin and the dearth of news coverage of this abuse of power scandal.

Mid show we learned that the MA legislature had passed pension reform.  The MA pension system is ridiculous.  For example if you are a MA employee and work 1 day a year, you recieve pension credit for an entire year.    The Governor announced some changes which represent a very small start on the problem.

Dick and I talked about Walpingate – the scandal involving Inspector General of Americorps Gerald Walpin who was wrongfully terminated by the White House after he exposed serious irregularities by Kevin Johnson, an Obama friend and supporter.

We spent some time on the Uighers, now basking in the sun in Bermuda on our dime, and those going to Palau at the cost of about  $12,000,000.00 (that’s  12 million ) per Uigher.

I also reminded everyone of the Worcester Tea Party, this Saturday at Elm Park in Worcester from 12 – 3.  If you are local, I hope to see you there.

Enjoy!

Dick moves to the right in today’s podcast – to the point where by the end of the hour I asked him why he is a democrat.

We talk about Daschle – before he withdraws his nomination, President Obama’s second week in office, Iraq successes, General Petreaus, Obama’s move toward socialism, the bail-out bill, President Obama’s pessimism, and Michael Steele.

Enjoy!