Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Best wishes to all for a great day,
and a good start for the holiday season.

Walmart Blitzkrieging Across America

Good morning,

Oh Walmart, that bastion of capitalism at it's most obvious. With their cheap prices as the result of their volume buying, loved by so many, but hated by so many small town mom & pop retailers who had to pack up shop when their town was "invaded".

Yep, it's true, some towns have likened it to an invasion when the yellow smiley face comes rollin' in.

However, Walmart has another little face that has embroiled them in controversy recently (pictured above), this face also smiling, but looking alot less friendly.

The skull is a t-shirt design offered at Walmart for little over $9.00. It's origin? Well, that little smushed skull is the insignia of none other than the SS Division designated "Totenkopf" or "Death's Head" by the Nazis. Originally formed as the bodyguard unit for Adolf Hitler and other high ranking Nazi officials, the death's head insignia was also worn by Panzer tankers, and concentration camp guards. Hmm.... charming isn't it?

The big maroon skull is an actual picture of the t-shirt as taken by a gentleman named Rick from the Bent Corner Blog, the little inset picture is a clip art likeness of the Nazi patch insignia, see the similarity?

Now isn't that nice? A late night trip to the 24 hour Walmart, to pick up a few things someone can't live without 'til morning (like a gallon drum of olive oil for $2.44), and while there, don't forget your value priced Nazi stuff. Woohoo!

Ok, that was sarcasm, I wouldn't wear that crap if ya paid me, but does anyone else find all of this to be a bit odd?

A spokesperson from Walmart denied any knowledge of the origin of the t-shirt design, practically blaming it all on the t-shirt vendor, which might be a good excuse if the shirt wasn't produced by Walmart's in-house brand called No Boundaries.

Perhaps there should be some boundaries, as I find it hard to believe that whoever came up with the idea for this shirt design didn't know they were using the insignia of a particularly notorious Nazi SS unit. I think someone was trying to be cute about the whole thing, just a big "ha ha" at the expense of most of us who might not recognize Nazi insignias if we saw them, while they mainstreamed Nazi skinhead material by introducing it into one of our nation's biggest retail stores.

Well, I don't think it's cute, and I don't think it's funny.

Whoever is responsible for this slap in the face to the American consumer should be dismissed immediately, and the offending item be pulled from store shelves just as fast.

Research of this matter has turned up updates from NBC News and the Bent Corner Blog stating that despite the uproar and promises from Walmart to remove the item, the t-shirts are still available in stores.

Could Walmart be intentionally slow in removing the shirts from store shelves as they know they're more likely to sell to those looking to make a quick buck on Ebay, and to the twisted? Anything's possible these days.

So, maybe Walmart coming to town is an invasion? They come with their army of trucks, their giant ultra-modern store, and apparently their insignia of choice. How would ol' Sam feel if he were still around? I'm almost afraid to ask because I want to maintain my opinion of him as a good man who got rich just looking out for everyday folks.

Borat Receives NY Welcome?

Good evening,

Well, it seems comedian Sacha Baron Cohen received one heck of a New York welcome when he took to the streets under guise of his alter-ego Borat.

Cohen's Borat character is supposed to be a Kazakhstani TV reporter who asks people some of the most outrageous questions anyone can imagine. The appeal of the Borat character is evident by a huge box office hit for the movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit for the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. (which also happens to be one of the longest titled movies in cinematic history)

Cohen (as Borat) was filming on a New York street, asking passers-by crazy questions, to which he recieved some laughs, some ignores, and a few "git da f___ outta heyah" responses. Friends of Cohen said they were all having a good laugh about the spectacle, until Borat (Cohen) approached the wrong guy.

He walked up to a man and said in his mock Kazakhstani accent, "I uh like uh you clothings, they are nicccce! Please may I buying? May I? I want have sex with it!", while pawing the mans clothing. To which the man simply punched Borat (Cohen) in the face, knocking him down, then proceeded to continue punching him in the face until Cohen's friends intervened.

Hey? how's that for a "welcome to New York?"

Rule #1 on the streets of New York, don't touch anyone

Rule # 2 on the streets of New York, don't give people a hard time, or they just might give you one back.

While those rules don't justify the actions of the man who beat the crap out of Borat, what was Sacha Baron Cohen thinking? His pranks might get a little more polite response from people in the South or out West, but in the big city of New York with so many people, lots of crazy people at that, nobody likes someone walking up to them and touching their clothing, much less wanting to have sex with it.

No mention was made about which neighborhood Borat was in at the time of the attack.

All I can say is at least Borat is OK, only minor bumps and bruises, it sure could have been worse, the guy could have shoved Borat's microphone somewhere often obscured from sunlight.

I still believe New York loves Borat, just as long as he doesn't touch them, or make sexual advances to their winter coats. It's a long distance relationship. *LOL

Mr. Independent?

Good evening,

He favors the war, he lost his primary after hugging a president, he alienated himself from his party, he became an independent, finding support from the party of the man he hugged so publicly. Yep, the Republicans.

They gave their support eagerly, knowing their party's candidate didn't really have a chance after getting into some sort of gambling scandal.

Struggling for his political life, he took that campaign support from the Republicans, waging a particularly nasty campaign against his Democratic rival, regarding him as inexperienced, soft on terror, no plan, all of the usual things you usually hear coming from "the people in red".

Yep, you guessed it, the Republicans.

Well, he went ahead and won that Senatorial election, promising to bring the troops home if he was elected, but did you know campaign promises were ruled on by the Supreme Court not long ago, protected as free speech, even if the promise is never fulfilled? Yep, it's true. I'm not saying he won't try, nobody knows what he'll do, I'm just saying a campaign promise is a campaign promise, nothing more.

Now that he has his Senate seat back, and not wanting to make most of Connecticut angry just yet, he pledged to caucus with the Democrats, the party who pretty much kicked him out, and for all anyone knows, who he might regard as the bunch who almost cost him his cushy 2 day per week job that pays in the hundreds of thousands of dollars (and that's just salary).

But....

I wonder who he might be beholdant to? The party who pretty much kicked him out, or the party who threw their support his way? I'd like to trust the man, I really would, he never seemed to be a bad guy, which is probably what most of the voters in his state thought when they saw his name on the ballot. In my opinion, he always seemed meek, almost apologetic in his tone when he was speaking on an issue, there was always a "forgive me for saying...." in his voice. That was until he chastised his fellow Senators for "questioning the president at a time of war", no apologetic tone there, and it struck me odd. Afterall, during a time of war, isn't it important to ask questions when it's the sons and daughters of this nation who are out there fighting, and who better to ask but the people who were elected by the people to represent them in government? I guess he just didn't see it that way.

My opinion of ol' Joe changed that day, as I guess did the opinions of many Democrats, whose side was he on?

Now, we once again find ourselves asking that very same question, "whose side is he on?" With the narrow Democratic majority in the Senate, Joe finds himself in the interesting position of being a political survivor, someone who went from the scrap heap to becoming perhaps the most influential (and thus powerful) man in the Senate. If he sides with the Democrats, they'll win the vote on an issue, if he sides with the Republicans they'll win the vote on an issue, see what I mean about influence? He's the swing vote.

My best guess is that we should all look very closely at the earliest issues that come up for vote within the Senate chamber, I predict a lesson to be given to one side or the other, perhaps given to both sides? He'll be in a position to demonstrate just how much either side needs him.

Kinda scary isn't it? That one man should have so much power? We find ourselves living in historical times, my friends, things we've seen these past few years will be written about in the history books, whether the events are depicted favorably or not will undoubtedly depend on who wields the most influence. Stories will be passed down from generation to generation, changing slightly as each passes the stories along, fading until only the written word remains.

I'd like to say things will go smoothly now that there will be some oversight by our legislature, though it all depends on Joe, the wild card, the unknown element, the person we thought we knew, but came to find out we never did. I have a feeling we will come to know him, but will we like it when we finally do?

Only time will tell....

Remembering Our Soldiers

Good evening,

I just got home, and couldn't let the day pass without saying a few words about Veteran's Day. When I was at work, I was thinking about what I'd say, I decided not to make yet another statement against the war, by now anyone who has read some of my blog entries, knows how I feel about it.

Instead, I'd like to tell you a story about how I've come to view Veteran's Day through the years, I hope you don't mind, and hope you enjoy my story, it comes from my heart with all the respect due to those who gave of themselves in the service of our great nation.

I salute them all, and say thanks.

In my family, Veteran's Day usually meant flying the flag proudly, lots of food, visits to my uncle's houses, lots of smiles, hugs, and stories. It was a day long event.

From all of us kids, I was the only one my uncles wouldn't shoo off with a "go play", they'd let me sit there with them listening to their stories while they reminisced about friends they had known, places they'd seen, and things they had done when they were off to war.

Sometimes I'd notice their laughter near the end of a story trail off, a change in the tone of their voice, and maybe the occasional break in their words like they were trying not to cry.

I remember one time grabbing one of my uncle's hands, asking if he was feeling sad, even now I remember that big ol' face of his, when he said "no, I was just remembering a good friend, and was thanking him for making it possible for me to be here right now with you." I said, "wow, musta been a good friend, I thank him too", to which my uncle said, "I'll bet he heard that and it made him happy"

If I think about it, I can still feel the rib crushing hug my uncle gave me.

Later in the day, the family would make a trip to the neighborhood cemetary to pay our respects to family members, many of whom I never met, but felt a connection to when I saw the family names carved in big letters on the stones. Generations of my family are there, many of them having served in our nation's military.

I still remember the grandmas with buckets in hand, filled with items to clean the stones and sites, they never would let one of us carry those buckets for them, my guess is that they felt it was important they did it themselves. I still see the serious looks on their faces while they walked together.

We, the kids, would carry little American flags, or a drawing we had made, we'd place those little flags to the right of the stone, after the grandmas had done their good work.

Looking at the words carved before me, I noticed that beneath the names, there were also letters and numbers, some sort of strange code that didn't make any sense to me, my uncle explained that it meant they were a soldier, the letters and numbers were there so that other soldiers would know what they had done.

I noticed a grave on the row behind my family member, it also had letters and numbers, it looked very old, the stone needed cleaning, with grass growing high along it's bottom edge. I asked my uncle if that man was a soldier, as he had the numbers and letters too, my uncle said "yes, he was, he served in the Second World War, see where it says?"

I saw.

I remember looking around the scene, the uncles going from site to site, taking a knee, saying a few words, the grandmas busy with their cleaning, the aunts trying not to speak too loudly when they tried to calm down my cousins who were running about the place.

One of the grandmas stopped to rest, leaving her bucket unattended, I walked over to it, grabbed her little clippers, a towel and spray bottle.

I looked back at that unkept grave in the row behind my family member, and thought how lonely it looked. I don't know why I thought that, maybe it was just seeing all of the attention paid to those from our family.

I walked over, slowly, standing there for a moment, reading the stone, then taking a knee, and saying a few words as I had seen my uncles do.

I remember not knowing what to say, so I just said something like "Hi, I know you don't know me, but you looked lonely, and I hope you don't mind me coming over to fix ya up a little, it's Veteran's Day".

When I finished cleaning, I took the little flag I had saved in my pocket for myself, and placed it to the right of the stone.

My uncles saw what I had done, meeting me as I walked back to rejoin the family, giving me pats on the back, and an arm around my shoulder, with one of my uncles saying "that's a nice thing ya did kid, you got a good heart".

I remember the walk back to the car, us leaving that site with so much of my family's history, seeing our name carved over and over in so many places, I remember seeing that lonely grave too, looking a little less lonely with that little flag waving in the breeze.

Each year, when Veteran's Day comes around, that's the memory I think of, that one day out of so many years, the first time I placed a flag on that lonely grave after paying my respects to my family members.

It was the last time the family still had all of the uncles and both grandmothers.

Though years have passed since that day, my grandmothers and many of my uncles gone, and me moved away from the neighborhood, I hear some of the family still make that yearly Veteran's Day trip to pay their respects.

About that lonely grave, it's not forgotten, I've been told a family member puts a flag on it each year, caring for the site like they're one of our own.

None who served our country and gave so much should be forgotten.

I hear it's now my second cousin, grandson to the uncle who told me it was nice thing I did so many years ago, who puts the flag each year. Perhaps in time the duty will be passed to his son, and grandson? If not, then maybe mine.

It makes me smile to think.

Dems Have a Good NIght !

Good evening,

What a difference a day makes!

I got up early yesterday, and went to vote. Though I vote in most elections, I have to say the process was a bit odd.

Two schools used as polling places near here, across the street from each other, not even 100 yards apart, one with no line where the subdivision with it's own golf course votes, and the other for everyone else with long lines for the few machines, surly poll workers who weren't very happy, and not very much parking.

I of course voted at the long line place with everyone else, but afterward, decided to peek in on how it was at the other polling place across the street. What a difference! The poll workers were nice, walking right up to you with literature in hand that outlined how to vote on the electronic machine, another asked me if I'd like a cup of coffee, while not forgetting to mention there were also fresh donuts from Krispy Kreme, there were rows of machines with no wait, so this is how the other half lives? Must be nice. I was right in the middle of thinking that, when I was asked for my last name so they could put me in line to sign the registry, I told them I was just waiting on a neighbor who was on their way. The poll worker smiled and said, "well I'll get you a chair", which she promptly did. It was nice, but all the while, I couldn't help but compare the sour puss faces of the poll workers where I had just voted, the lines of the 5 machines for what looked like at least 60 people who arrived early like me "to beat the crowd", no coffee, no Krispy Kreme, no chair fetching people. Politeness was something reserved for those with money, or for those who vote in a way more favorable to those in power.

Oh well, I didn't let that stop me, I was on a mission. *LOL
I waited in the line, cast my vote, and left feeling like I had accomplished something, though I also knew that voting in Texas, my vote wasn't going to change much in this heavily fortified Republican stronghold of a state.

I went to classes from the afternoon 'til evening, arriving home near 10pm, and was pleasantly surprised by the news, things were going well for the Democrats in this election. You can't imagine just how many times in recent years that I've said "the people won't stand for that!", only to be disappointed when we did. This election finally seemed like the people woke up, realizing that a government without checks and balances nor oversight can begin to turn into something kinda scary. An unfavorable war in Iraq costing our soldiers their lives and billions of our tax dollars with no end in sight, Predator congressmen preying on underage male pages, Other congressmen being brought up on assault charges for choking their mistresses who they met at a Young Republicans rally, Yet more congressmen being brought up on charges for corruption, resigning with tears when their greed is revealed, the smiling mugshots that left many wondering if they knew where they were, The oil company ties during a time when oil company profits are of historic proportion along with the prices were paying. The domestic spying, which says the government wants us to trust them while they show they don't trust us, just a whole slew of things indicating that things were getting far out of hand for the party who promised to restore honor to government.

As I watch the news now, word has it that the Democrats have majority in the House of Representatives, a majority in the Senate is also projected for them, meaning they will have both chambers of Congress. I believe it's a good thing, as there truly is a need for a new direction, and for some oversight into how things are being run. If the Democrats are to actually recieve this chance to control both legislative chambers, if I could, I'd say, "the American people have entrusted you with this honor to serve your country, don't let us down, do the right thing."

My hope is that they'll function as a unit, with a clear agenda for fixing what they've regarded as being broken all these years that they've been out of power. I expect them to live up to the trust I've put in them, and to not tone things down so much as the now humbled pundits of the Republican party are suggesting, the people will respect them for just doing the right thing, and for never fogetting who it was who put them into those seats of power.

What really blows my top are the Republican edged commentators who have shows on the various cable news channels, such as O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Scarborough, Dobbs, and Carlson-- today I've heard so much talk about both parties coming together in unity, about all of us just being Americans regardless of political affiliation, about calm taking the place of intolerance within our halls of Congress. All good words and ideas, but where was the call for all of that when the Republicans owned everything? Just a few days ago, it was the staus quo of "us against them", and I'm not even referring to the campaign jabs, the Republicans enjoying having a "what are you gonna do about it" way of doing things. The Democrats should remember all that they were subjected to during their time as the minority party, and should flex some muscle now that they can, help the people, heal the nation, right the wrongs, and the people will respond in kind. Never forget, never fall victim to what befell those who came before them, and never forget that the politics of hope will always defeat the politics of fear, they should seek to build on that good rule.

I wish the Democratic Party well, I have high hopes for what they might be able to accomplish, it's up to them to make sure that hope is kept alive, they have my trust, now all they have to do is work to keep it.

Less than 24 Hours to Go!

Good afternoon,

Well, here we go, Election Day is less than 24 hours away!! Can you believe it? Time sure flies when you're having fun, and I guess it goes by quickly when you're not having much fun at all, but just waiting for this day to come. *LOL

No matter how you feel about the way things are, please be sure to vote, it's important.

Here's a few things we might all think about when it's our turn at the machine:

*Is our life better now than it was under previous administrations or during other sessions of congress? If it is, then vote to keep the current guys in there, if it's not, then vote for change.

*Will we need Social Security when it's our time to collect it? If you won't, vote for the guys who might privatize it or scale it back, if you or a loved one might need it, then vote for the guys who will get money back into the Social Security Trust Fund. Bush and Co., already said Social Security is on the brink of bankruptcy, with no money available to fix it. However, Bush and Co., see nothing wrong with spending $7.4 Million Dollars per hour in Iraq.

*How is that fair? Nobody sane is in favor of depriving the troops of anything, that's not the reason for quoting dollar figure costs, but if you look at any of the websites dedicated to sending troops items they need, and you'll wonder why are there actually requests for socks and boots from the soldiers? We all wondered why some families had to buy armor protective vests for their loved ones serving over there? Where is the necessary and most basic equipment? Why did Halliburton charge our government $45 dollars per six pack of Coca-Cola in a can that was supposed to be or our troops? Where is the money going? That's alot to think about, but it is important.

*Of course, the soldiers, if you believe the current course of things has been worth the lives of 3000 of our bravest, then vote to keep the guys in office, if you don't believe it's worth even one more soldier's life, then vote for change. Much has been said about people who speak out against the war, I'm saying this only for the reason that I want them all to come home, it's not cutting and running, it's recognizing cost, and return and comparing that to the lives of our soldiers. I salute their efforts during their mission there, I consider their service to be one of the most honorable things a citizen of our great country can do, worthy of great respect, admiration, and thanks from us all. That is why I wouldn't sacrifice another one of their lives for that place where they were sent under so many mistakes and falsehoods.

Enough of the issues, some will believe them, some won't no matter what is said, but if you want to learn more about these issues, they're easily found on Google.

Most importantly, make up your own mind, think of what's best for you and your family, and vote that way. Like I said, it doesn't matter to me how you vote, just that you do. I have respect for anyone who votes with their heart and their head.

Have a good night everybody,
and best wishes to all during Election Day.

Cheney Hunts Again... Friends Nervous

Good afternoon,

In the picture, notice the nervous faces of the men to the left and right of the Veep, imagine how the photographer felt standing in front of the guy. YIKES!

In a news story today, I heard Mr. Cheney now feels much better after "the worst day of HIS life", as he so called it after he blew away one of his friends with a shot gun on a hunting trip, and plans to hunt again on election day, tomorrow.

Umm... does anyone else wonder how it could have been the worst day in HIS life, when it was the other guy who he shot? While nobody can say it was a good day for the Veep-ster, surely the other guy's day was going much worse. But, I guess since the guy who got shot apologized to the Vice-President and his family for what they had to go through, I guess that makes it all ok. It's a true story, the other guy actually apologized, how strange is that?

Will the area where Mr. Cheney likes to bound through the woods be eerily deserted this hunting season? If, not, will the other hunters invest in day-glo colors that could save their life? Will the quail simply stick around knowing they have nothing to worry about as they're not even friends with the guy? Will the prices of beer company stock go up as a result of this hunting trip? Only time will tell.

What's in a Name?

Good morning,

In a strange turn of events, a news story reported that Senator Joe Lieberman says he will "get the troops back home if elected". HUH?! Wha? No frickin' way! That guy? I don't believe it. Surely he means in 10-20 years, or just temporarily to send them back out there again.

What's in a name? Well, if you take the first 3 letters from this guy's name, you have the word "Lie". Is that what's going on here now, just 1 day before the election? Why the change of views, if there really is one? I guess he's looking to get any sort of vote he can.

(I'm not saying all people with that last name lie, I'm only referring to "the hugger" pictured above. Get a room! That picture gives me the heebeegeebees)

Surely, anyone who has been following politics lately has come to know that Senator Joe Lieberman is amongst one of the most supportive "democrats" when it comes to the war. I use quotation marks around the word "democrats" when it comes to this guy, because he sure doesn't sound like one very often. Remember when the Bush White House was coming under scrutiny for what was said in the days leading up to the Iraq War? It was Joe Lieberman who came to his defense on the senate floor, saying something to the effect that people shouldn't question the president. But isn't that one of our greatest rights in this country? At this point we still have the right to ask questions of government officials we elected. I believe the silencing of that right is a dangerously wrong direction to take. Who wants to vote for a guy who doesn't believe in the right to ask questions?

So, how will Joe work to bring the troops home, and how will the Republican Party allow him to do so? Was Joe's campaign promise done with a wink and a nod to the Republican base who recognized one of their own and threw their support to him? I don't see him doing anything of substance to bring out troops home if he is elected.

Here's why, Joe is a political survivor, he knows a cushy job when he has one, where else can he get national attention while working only 2 days per week and get paid hundred of thousands of dollars in salary? Not to mention "contributions" made to him by his big business friends who have much to gain if he stays in the game. Why would he rock the boat by going against the war?

He won't.

He's not the same guy those many people thought they knew, he's going to be beholdant to someone for helping him keep his cushy job, will it be Democrats who voted for him? Nope, but he's gonna owe someone.

Why'd He Do It?

Good afternoon,

Yes, he's baaaack!

John Kerry lost himself recently and believed he was Jim Carey for a second, resulting in an untimely "botched joke" when he told a group of college students "if you study hard you can do well, if not you get stuck in Iraq". His explanation was that he had left off the punch line of "just ask President Bush".

Ok, I'm not crazy enough to believe he intended to insult the men and women of our nation's military who serve bravely each and every day. John Kerry himself is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. I do believe it was nothing more than an attempt at being funny by an unfunny man. C'mon let's face it, the man is not funny, and that's ok, not everyone is.

When John Kerry secured the nomination for the 2004 Presidential election, I first thought "well, he wasn't my first choice", but I lived with it and watched intently in the days leading up to the election. Whew, the guy was dry, so dry I wondered if he was made of straw. Yep, that dry. Remember the voice? Tough to stick with in my support, but shoot, what was my alternative? No way was I goin there.

Around the time of the election, I saw film footage of the scene pictured above, and thought "couldn't someone have loaned the guy a respectable sized sailboat?" Who wants to see the man who might be the president one day with some sorta contraption strapped to his ass just days before the election? Who let him do this, and all of the other "I'm still strong and young at heart" photo ops he was doing? Really, the only thing we didn't see him doing was skateboarding a half-pipe. Geez.

But about this latest mistake, why'd he do it? Just why? Was it just a need for the spotlight? Was it a belief that he'd show 'em all how it's done? Was he just trying to be charming? Or was there a secret handshake deal? Ok, I don't really believe the secret handshake deal theory, I'll just call the mention of it a botched joke, but now I see how easily it can happen. We'll never know the reason why this happened, but I hope the Democrats can contain the Republican driven attempt to shift attention away from the issues they're doing so poorly with.

It's a shame, it truly is.

Now the Republicans can attempt to show themselves as the party who respects the soldiers, even though they were the ones who sent them to fight in a country under false pretenses, costing the lives of 3000 of our bravest, they were the party of "Bring it On!", they were the party of "Mission Accomplished" when little was actually accomplished, the hardest of times were yet to come, they were the party of "stay the course", even when that course seems to be leading us to a place we don't want to be. So far, their policies, actions, and inactions have resulted in the deaths of more Americans than were lost to the 9-11 tragedy. Yes, I said it, and it's sadly true, I say it with a heavy heart.

From what I've noticed, the Dems are fractured on this silliest of issues, some siding with their opposition in their interpretation of what happened, others using it as an opportunity to spring forward in political position for the next presidential race of 2008. Why did it take so little to get the Democratic Party off point? At a time when their voices should be united in unison about the need for change, some are sounding scarily like the people they're running against. Get it together, sooner not later, now if possible!

In closing, I want to say I'm not anti-Kerry, I'm also not one of those who would count him out because of this incident of his own creation. Personally, I feel sorry for the guy, if it was indeed just a mis-spoken word, then I can only imagine how he must feel today, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But I believe John Kerry needs to work on himself to re-learn how to be one of the regular people again, what it is we care about, how it is we speak, and how it is to just relax and be himself. Too often these career politicians exist in a bubble world for so long, that they cease to be just a regular person taking part in a government "of, by, and for the people", a place where even the language is by far different from how we speak. He has some good things he can still say, he has a role in Democratic Party politics, and on the occassion when I've heard him relax and just talk, he makes some good points, it's when he gets back into that voice projecting Senate floor speak tone that he loses so much.. If he would conduct himself as just a classy guy who speaks the truth in real sentences, he'll regain respect. I hope he can do it. If I could say anything to him, I would say "don't take anything I said personally, it wasn't intended as an attack but was intended to show how the political advice he's taking from someone just isn't working nor is it playing well with the average man on the street. Be smart, do the right thing, speak to the people of this great nation in a way that shows you respect them enough to just level with them and give them the straight truth, and you'll find people will listen and cheer again."

Why am I still shaking my head after I've attempted to wrap up this matter and put it into perspective in a way that makes sense to me? Sheesh, does anyone else find politics in our country to be frustrating?

To all, please remember to vote on November 7th, it's very important.