Heinrich Questions Deputies Integrity

In an astonishing turn of events, Martin Heinrich's campaign questions the integrity of every deputy in the Bernalillo County Sherriff's department:

Every election year, deputies with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office escort poll workers from polling sites to the locations where they drop off the ballots, and this year deputies will be guarding the election warehouse until the vote is certified.

But one campaign is questioning the role deputies will be playing in the process this year because the deputies’ boss, Sheriff Darren White, is on the ballot.

“I think the interesting part and the disturbing part for me is that these officers will be sheriff’s officers who work for Darren White,” said Jason Burke, a campaign strategist for Martin Heinrich, White’s opponent in the campaign to represent New Mexico’s first congressional district.

This is simply amazing to me. These are men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve all of us - regardless of political persuasion. Plus, as the Heinrich camp knows all too well, Sheriff's deputies don't touch the ballots, they only safeguard those transporting the ballot. So, the implication here is that these deputies would attack those protecting they are charged with protecting in order to alter the ballots. Unbelievable!

You can catch me this Sunday morning on KOB-TV's Eye on New Mexico at 10:00 a.m. discussing the election.

Private Investiagation Justified

The Democrats in New Mexico who are responsible for prosecuting crimes (read: District Attorney and Attorney General) have turned a blind eye time and time again to voter fraud allegations. Not surprising considering that they'll be the biggest beneficiaries on Election Day of creative uses of fraudulent voter registrations.

It seems that every election cycle the problem is worsening, and every election cycle the Democrats, and one Republican former U.S. Attorney, cite a lack of evidence as the reason for a failure to prosecute. So, it makes perfect sense that local attorney Pat Rogers would try and help round up the evidence that Democrats conveniently seem to be unwilling to gather for themselves (subscription).

An Albuquerque attorney who has been accused in a federal lawsuit of intimidating two voters in an attempt to interfere with their right to vote said Wednesday he has not violated any law.

Pat Rogers, who advises the state Republican Party, is accused of helping disseminate private information about two voters and hiring a private investigator, Al Romero, who allegedly went to their homes and confronted them about their eligibility to vote, the lawsuit said.

This accusation against Pat Rogers is ridiculous. First, let's state the obvious... Someone's voter information is not private. It's public information available to anyone for a fee. Pay the County Clerk, and you too can get everyone's complete voter profile - where they live, when they've voted, their age, etc.

Politicians and their volunteers who go door to door are in essence doing their own voter verification. This is not considered intimidation, why should knocking on someone's door and verifying eligibility be considered intimidation? It shouldn't.

Voter fraud is a problem, and it's growing. The failure to prosecute is beginning to seriously undermining confidence in the system. Heck, people in New Mexico are now so confident that they won't be prosecuted, they're willing to admit registering their dog to vote (subscription):

Don Pizzolato didn't expect his dog to end up registered to vote.

Sure, he filled out the paperwork after he was approached a few years ago at Wal-Mart. But the Social Security number and birth date Pizzolato made up for his dog were fake.

"I fully expected the form to be returned to me," Pizzolato said Wednesday in an interview.

Instead, he received a voter registration card in the mail a few weeks later. Now, with all the debate over registration fraud, Pizzolato is going public with the tale of his dog, Tuckup Koepke.

"I just have one data point to go off of, but in my opinion, if it's this easy to thwart the system, I'm sure it's not an isolated case," Pizzolato said.

Is it any wonder Pat Rogers decided to investigate the fraud? If Pat Rogers hadn't, we would have never known about this story.

Bulding an Arena in a Recession

Chalk this up to one up to absolutely ridiculous (subscription):

Albuquerque's young, growing population looks strong enough to support a Downtown event center, according to a new consultant's report.

And if City Hall opts to build one, the WNBA has interest in awarding a team to the Duke City, the study said. The league would want a local ownership group willing to pay a $10 million expansion fee.

The remaining wild card for the whole project, of course, is the tight economy that's squeezing government revenue.

"In terms of an opportune time to make an investment, if anyone's liquid enough, these are great times," Mayor Martin Chávez said. "What we have to be cautious about ... is that it doesn't impede our ability to provide basic services."

One hurdle is whether the market will support an 11,000-seat event center. The new report by Convention, Sports & Leisure International says the market characteristics are "very favorable."

The report was conducted as part of a series of studies examining the feasibility of a $400 million plan to build an event center and hotel in Downtown Albuquerque, near the Convention Center and railroad tracks. The mayor and council haven't decided whether to go forward with the project.

Well, if they have any sense, they'll determine NOT to go forward with the project.

Bonds and Levies on the Ballot

If you haven't voted already, I strongly recommend printing up your sample ballot before heading over to the polls. If you live in Bernalillo County, you can download your sample ballot here. The federal office races may get the lion share of attention, but you'll find they only make up a small portion of the ballot real estate.

In fact on my ballot there is no less than a whole page of 12 bond and levy proposals to consider - plus five constitutional amendments. With the market continuing on its downward spiral, and the news of a worsening economy leading off every news hour, you have to wonder who in their right mind would vote to increase property taxes (mill levies) or authorize more government borrowing (bonds).

The problem with the latter is that in a recession, government revenues will drop (think $10 million budget shortfall for Bernalillo County), and when there isn't enough money coming in, you can bet your last dollar that it won't be long before your friendly local government entity will come after you and I with tax increases to make up the revenue shortfall.

Reports of Giving up on New Mexico Premature

Just a few days ago, it was being "reported" by those with their own agenda that John McCain was giving up on winning New Mexico. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth and two campaign visits this Saturday prove that without a doubt:

New Mexico Road to Victory Rallies in New Mexico this Saturday
Join John and Cindy McCain and your New Mexico Ticket for either of our Road to Victory Rallies in New Mexico this Saturday, October 25th.

• Albuqerque, NM - Click here for more information and to find out how you can get tickets to this event.
• Mesilla, NM - Click here for more information and to find out how you can get tickets to this event.

If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, make sure to call today.

Martin Heinrich Blew It

A lot of last night's televised debate on KOB-TV between former City Councilor Martin Heinrich and Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White for the 1st Congressional covered familiar ground and campaign tazlking points. However, Darren White hammered one point home that will really hurt Martin Heinrich going into this final stretch of the election.

Darren truthly pointed out over and over again that Martin Heinrich was the only candidate running for federal office in New Mexico who did not state a position on the bailout when questioned by the Albuquerque Journal.

Martin Heinrich Democrat Did not say if he would have voted for or against bill, but criticized it.

This fact, more than any other, demonstrates that Martin Heinrich is not ready to represent us in Congress. The biggest economic crisis to face our country since the Great Depression, and Heinrich dodges the question by refusing to take a position - UNACCEPTABLE.

Just in Case

Sarah Palin got on my radar over a year ago by stumbling across the Campaign2008VictoryA blog. That same blogger recently sent out an email that had an interesting observation regarding Obama's polling lead:

The "polls" this year are more suspect than usual, with a lot of people saying they will vote for Obama -- but apparentely planning to vote for McCain-Palin.

Something similar happened in the Democratic Primaries, where Obama "polled" much better than he did in the voting booth (especially in PA, but also in several other states).

Remember way back to the NH Primary in January, where Obama had a "double-digit lead" and supposedly Mrs. Clinton was toast? She ended up winning that Primary by a substantial margin. She also won Texas and Indiana, where the polls showed Obama with a fairly comfortable lead.

In polls, as in the rest of life, most people will tell the surveyers what they really believe. However, many people will say what they think the pollsters want to hear. There's no other way to explain why the polls were so dramatically wrong in states such as NH and PA during the primaries.

Now, I realize that if Senator Obama doesn't win on Election Day, many of my far left-leaning readers will be evaluating their options. So, I thought I'd throw this out there...

Attorney General Seeks to Raise Taxes

Apparently, someone forgot to tell Attorney General Gary King that his job is to prosecute bad guys - not raise taxes. I guess oil and gas revenue must be really looking bad since the Attorney General has decided his initiatives for the upcoming legislative session are to raise taxes (subscription):

Impose a higher state tax on "alcopops," which are typically fruit flavored and sweetened malt beverages. [Attorney General Gary] King proposes to tax the drinks at a rate for distilled spirits rather that the current practice of taxing them at the lower rate for beer. California regulators have already taken such steps. The drinks include brands such as Mike's Hard Lemonade. King estimates that the higher tax rate could generate $2 million a year for programs to prevent underage drinking.

It has been widely acknowledged that alcohol is a recession proof industry. So, it is probably not surprising that Democratic Attorney General Gary King is seeking to increase state revenue for government run programs by taxing the industry. The problem is: It's not the industry that he is taxing. It is you and me.

In case you're planning on voting Democrat in the upcoming election, this is a good indication of what is to come if the Democrats win in November - tax, tax and more tax.

Palin Draws 10,000 People in Roswell

On my way to my son's soccer game on Saturday, I passed by an early voting site in the predominantly conservative Northeast Heights in the early afternoon and was pleased to see a line winding out the door. Then on Sunday, an estimated 10,000 attended a campaign rally in Roswell with Sarah Palin (subscription):

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin swooped into southeastern New Mexico on Sunday to aim a flurry of political shots at Democrat Barack Obama, coming within a ricochet of calling him a socialist during a campaign rally that drew an estimated 10,000-plus cheering fans.

After telling the huge crowd that the Democratic presidential contender intends to raise taxes on "Joe the Plumber" and "Ed the Dairyman," the Alaska governor added:

"Barack Obama calls it 'spreading wealth.' Joe Biden calls higher taxes 'patriotic.' But Joe the Plumber and Ed the Dairyman, I believe that they think it sounds more like socialism. Now is no time to experiment with socialism. It will destroy jobs. It will hurt our economy. And it's about time that we all call Barack Obama on it."

In 2004, New Mexico was delivered for President Bush due to the incredible turnout efforts in the southern and eastern parts of the state. Attendance at the rally seems to indicate that the turnout for John McCain in this part of the state is on track to meet or exceed those 2004 numbers.

The Cause of the Economic Crisis Explained

Once before I put up a British comedy to explore the arguments for and against school choice.

In the same vein, here is a look at the root of the economic crisis we are facing:

Block Gives Our Money to Hillary

It's official, Jerome Block, Jr. is the poster child for all of us against taxpayer financing of campaigns:

In his latest campaign-finance report, Jerome Block Jr. gave $700 to Hillary Clinton, well after the former first lady had given up her run for president.

The contribution, made with public campaign funds, is dated Aug. 25, a week after Gov. Bill Richardson hosted fundraisers in New Mexico to help Clinton get rid of her multimillion-dollar campaign debt.

A section of the Voter Action Act, which funds Public Regulation Commission campaigns, says, "All money distributed to a certified candidate shall be used for that candidate's campaign-related purposes in the election cycle in which the money was distributed."

Mind you, this is the guy who has:

1. already admitted to campaign fraud.
2. a troubled legal history.
3. made a potentially illegal payment to an Attorney General employee.
   

Where's the outrage from all of those pushing ethics reform session after session? As if to add insult to injury, on top of everything else listed above, Block is dining at Twin Peaks on our dime.

Gotta Love the Timing

The economy is in a deep recession. People are in danger of losing their homes. The financial industry is being taken over by the government, and in New Mexico, we're going to face ballot initiatives that will raise taxes on our homes:

Voters across the state will decide the fate of $223 million in proposed general obligation bonds to help pay for major projects at colleges and universities, health facilities, senior centers and to buy books for libraries.

Four bonds will be on the Nov. 4 ballot, and each will require majority support to pass.

Higher education institutions have the most at stake, with roughly $140 million on the line.

"This will allow important new projects to go forward, training our students for important fields such as health care, film and education," Higher Education Secretary Reed Dasenbrock said. "In addition, this invests money in crucially needed infrastructure projects, which will save energy costs for our institutions. Virtually every institution in the state benefits from this GO bond, and local economies will strongly benefit from these new construction projects."

The bonds would be paid through statewide property taxes. If all the measures pass, the owner of a $100,000 house would pay an extra $18.06 during the 2009 property tax year, according to an analysis by the state. The annual cost would decrease slightly each year thereafter.

In Albuquerque, where the median price of a home is $195,000, taxes would increase by about $35 in 2009 if all four bonds are approved.

Is this really a good time to take on more debt?

Smaller Schools are Better

I'm inclined to agree with Think New Mexico's push for smaller schools:

Decades of research have shown that smaller schools have higher graduation rates, higher student achievement, lower levels of student alienation and violence, and higher levels of satisfaction among students, parents, principals, and teachers. Small schools also dramatically improve the performance of low-income children, which helps to narrow the persistent achievement gap.

What I find surprising is APS Superintendent Winston Brooks' argument against smaller schools (subscription):

In a presentation at Hoover Middle School library, Brooks referenced that report as well as the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which calls for high schools no larger than 400 students.

"Having smaller schools is not financially feasible," Brooks said, adding that there would be a need for more principals and assistant principals. He cited the successful Eldorado football team and ROTC programs as items that would suffer if the 2,000-student school were broken up into smaller schools.

Really? Did he honestly make an argument against smaller schools to protect football and ROTC programs? That's the most bizarre thing I've ever heard. Talk about your skewed educational priorities. And, his claim that it would require more principals and assistant principals is baloney. Small schools with 400 students don't need assistant principals.

Joining the Ranks of Nationalization

I just can't believe what I'm reading... we're continuing down the road of nationalizing the banking industry (subscription):

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told international leaders on Sunday that isolationism and protectionism could worsen the spreading financial crisis. With a new trading week dawning, U.S. lawmakers urged quick action by the Bush administration on measures to make direct purchases of bank stock to help unlock lending.

Sen. Chuck Schumer said an administration proposal to inject federal money directly into certain banks, in effect partially nationalizing the banking system, "is gaining steam."

"I am hopeful that tomorrow, the Treasury will announce that they're doing it. And they have to do it quickly ... markets are waiting," Schumer, D-N.Y., said.

Who else nationalizes their industries?

Last month, [Venezuelan President Hugo] Chavez ordered a state takeover of several major oil operations that had been controlled by foreign-owned corporations.

Oh, and let's not forget Russia...

Since [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's election in 2000, the Kremlin has brought national television broadcasters under state control while state-owned or state-controlled companies have bought up some of the country's most influential newspapers and magazines.

Putin, like Chavez, also nationalized the energy industry in 2006. We're moving awfully quickly down this path, and I think it's pretty scary.

The Stealth October Surprise

I just figured out this morning what is missing from this election cycle - the October Surprise. That moment when some terrible secret is revealed that is intended to give the other party the advantage going into the home stretch.

Then I took a look at two articles in this morning's Journal.  The first was the results of recent local polling (subscription):

"Two-thirds said the economy," he said. "I've never seen it that high." 

Sanderoff, president of Research & Polling Inc. in Albuquerque, said the heavy voter focus on the economy is a political "double-whammy" for Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who trailed Democrat Barack Obama in New Mexico by five points in the same Journal Poll. 

"It continues to shine a light on an issue perceived as a strength for Obama while taking away the focus from other issues perceived as strengths for McCain," Sanderoff said.

"Barack Obama is rising in the polls not only because people see Obama as doing a better job on the economy. We've gotten off the focus of national security, the war on terrorism, immigration — the things McCain is seen as stronger on. That's the double-whammy," Sanderoff said.

Just last month — when New Mexicans were shelling out an average of $3.69 for a gallon of gasoline — another Research & Polling Inc. survey found the biggest issue facing people in the state was fuel prices, Sanderoff said.

And, the second article tied in nicely by reporting on the falling gas prices:

Call it the good news amongst all the bad: gas prices finally dropping under $3 a gallon all over town.

One sign Wednesday advertising $2.859 for unleaded was a magnet for a steady stream of cars and trucks at the Circle K at the northwest corner of Fourth and Montaño NW during the lunch hour.

 
"I bought this in 2005 — that's what I was paying then," said Ventana Ranch resident Corey Ryan, sitting in line in the cab of his heavy-duty Dodge Ram 2500 pickup.

"I drive this way to work, so I keep my eye out for low prices," he said, nodding at a gas station sign across Montaño for $3.089 a gallon. "Every once in a while, they get into a price war with the place across the street. Circle K's got them beat today. We all win out."

I'm sure it is all just coincidence, but you have to admit it the combination of the two make for one heck of an October surprise.

The Boomers are Pulling Their Money

There has been a great deal written about the fact that the Baby Boomer generation has control of the greatest amount of wealth this country has ever seen.  In the past the focus has been on the ultimate transfer of that wealth.  But, of late, we're seeing that wealth disappearing at a phenomenal pace with market decline on top of market decline.

So, the question remains how long will the Boomers leave their money in the market?  My guess (and anecdotal evidence) is that they're starting to pull it out in droves, and I don't think that's going to stop between now and Election Day.  I don't believe they are going to put the money under their mattresses, but they are probably going to convert it into FDIC insured accounts until the market settles.

Obviously, I thought the bailout was a bad idea.  I put up a couple of posts arguing against it. And, I'm pretty sure, like most "great" government solutions, this one is going to suffer from unintended consequences - namely, the continued decline of Wall Street.  

See, by raising the FDIC insured amount to $250,000, the government just encouraged people on fixed incomes (read:retirees) and those about to retire to pull their money out and put it where it's safely insured.  

The politicians used a lot of doom and gloom rhetoric to rationalize the bailout, and they built up the expectation that as soon as it was passed the market and economy would be turned around. But, it's just not working out that way.  There is no way it can.  We're going to continue to see market declines through Election Day, and my prediction is that the Democrats are going to win big across the nation because of it - although, I hope I'm wrong.

No, it's not because the Republicans are the cause of the economic downturn.  There's plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the aisle, and in our own lives (count your credit cards). However, most Democrats believe that government can provide the solutions to every social issue and economic challenge, so it makes sense they would vote for the bailout.  Whereas, Republicans are supposed to believe in a free market economy (or at least something resembling one), many turned their back on those values and opted for the magic quick fix.  

The problem is, there is no such thing as a magic quick fix. 

Dead Heat is Bad News for Heinrich

That statistical dead heat in the 1st Congressional District race is bad news for Martin Heinrich (subscription):

The 1st Congressional District race is a close one, with Republican Darren White and Democrat Martin Heinrich running nearly even for the open seat, a Journal Poll found.

In interviews with likely voters, Heinrich, a former Albuquerque city councilor, was two points ahead of White, the Bernalillo County sheriff.

Heinrich was backed by 43 percent of the registered, likely voters in the 1st Congressional District survey. White had 41 percent. Sixteen percent were undecided.

The survey was conducted Sept. 29-Oct. 2 and has a margin of error of 4.9 percentage points plus or minus. Heinrich's 2-point edge over White wasn't statistically significant, said Brian Sanderoff, president of Research & Polling Inc. in Albuquerque, which conducted the poll.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Republicans have an uphill battle this year for a variety of reasons. We all know that. Although I admit I'm confused as to how some folks can be enamored of a change to Democratic control. After all, the Democrats won Congress two years ago on a platform of change, and look how well that has worked out for all of us.

Anyway, back to the poll. Heinrich has more money than White, and based on Democratic performance in mid-term elections in Republican strongholds across the country, Heinrich should be sweeping Darren White in the polls, but he is not.

Disclaimer stuff: In case you missed the previous disclaimers, I'm a big White supporter.

Declining Performance

I probably should have given this more attention last week, but I guess better late than never. It looks like even by her own accounting District Attorney Kari Brandenburg's performance is spiraling downward (subscription):

[Kari] Brandenburg says the DA's Office got convictions in 57 percent of the cases it took to trial in 2007 and says the overall conviction rate since she took office is more than 95 percent, taking into account guilty pleas.

Brandenburg concedes the data raise some questions and said she will thoroughly look into all of the cases on the list.

She pointed out that some of the cases were gang-related and witnesses backed out of testifying at the last minute. Four of the acquittals and three of the mistrials involved sex crimes, which she said are hard to get convictions on.

Of the four murder cases on this year's list, there were three convictions and one acquittal.

Torraco had a different view of the 2008 statistics.

"It's a disgrace. It's a travesty. There are a million words to describe this," said Torraco, who believes the DA's Office should win 80 percent of its cases. "I am seriously questioning their ability to analyze cases.

"When we have a DA whose loss record is greater than 50 percent, we know she is clogging the system with cases that should not have even been brought."

Let's review, shall we? District Attorney Kari Brandenburg has an overall conviction rate over the last eight years of 95%. But, in 2007 according to her own analysis, that rate dropped to 57%, and then according to an analysis done by her opponent in the District Attorney's race, Lisa Torraco, that conviction rate has dropped down to an alarming 37% for the first six months of this year.

At this rate of decline, it won't be long before the all of the criminals are running around free on our streets. But, probably most troubling for me is this statement that District Attorney Brandenburg made:

Brandenburg concedes the data raise some questions and said she will thoroughly look into all of the cases on the list.

How can you run an office as District Attorney and only become aware of the precipitous drop in convictions through an Albuquerque Journal interview? How exactly has she been benchmarking her performance if she wasn't already aware of the significant declines in convictions.

It's this type of declining performance that makes it clear that District Attorney Kari Brandenburg must go.

Disclosure: I'm supporting Lisa Torraco for D.A.

A Change in America

I have to admit. I have yet to catch a debate in real time - various obligations have outweighed the desire to watch the debate each time. Usually, I've caught them a couple of days after the fact online. Last night was no exception. Although this time, I DVR'd it and watched a couple of hours after the fact.

Why am I prefacing this post with all of this? Because I think it important to note the importance of this change in how we get our information. Sure, people have been talking for years about the time shifting that is occurring in viewing habits, but I think this will be the first Presidential election where the full impact of this change will be felt.

Do I feel inundated by political campaign commercials this season? No. I don't watch them, or at least not more than once (usually viewed online). On those rare occasions when I watch a television program, it is, like last night's debate, according to my own schedule with my finger firmly pressed on fast forward during those commercial breaks.

This option is being taken advantage of by more and more Americans each and every day. If you're like me, you didn't catch the Katie Couric interviews of Governor Palin live, but sought them out after hearing how poorly she did in order to see the soundbites in their context. The same is true for Tina Fey's Saturday night depictions of the Alaska Governor. I haven't watched Saturday Night Live since my teenage years. Sitting through all of the mediocre skits to see that one good one just isn't my idea of entertainment. But, the internet may just give Saturday Night Live a relevance for a whole new generation.

So, keeping all of this in mind, a couple of thoughts on last night's debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin. First, the good news - I found them both to be very likable. Senator Biden's knowledge of the world stage made something very clear. He has been a working Senator, and he had one of my favorite observations of the night:

Mike Mansfield, a former leader of the Senate, said to me one day -- he -- I made a criticism of Jesse Helms. He said, "What would you do if I told you Jesse Helms and Dot Helms had adopted a child who had braces and was in real need?" I said, "I'd feel like a jerk."

He said, "Joe, understand one thing. Everyone's sent here for a reason, because there's something in them that their folks like. Don't question their motive."

I have never since that moment in my first year questioned the motive of another member of the Congress or Senate with whom I've disagreed. I've questioned their judgment.

I have quite a few politically active friends on both sides of the aisle, and I can't tell you how true this is. The vast majority of those representing us (and working to elect them) are good people. Their hearts and intentions are in the right place. I found it interesting that a very similar comment was made be Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) in his recent floor speech against the bailout:

Mr. President, I have friends and colleagues whom I respect deeply who are on all sides of this bailout issue. One of them just spoke. We all to want do what is right for America, and I believe those who have crafted this plan had pure and noble motives. They want this country to succeed. They want prosperity. I just do not believe that this bill gets the job done. In fact, in the long term, I am convinced it will do more harm than good.

Sometimes its too easy to forget that most people are good people - although there are definitely some bad apples in the process. Both Senator Biden and Governor Palin are clearly good apples. But, there is a fundamental difference between the two. Governor Palin truly represents the future and Senator Biden the past. For all of his talk of change, Senator Obama could not have made a worse choice than Senator Biden to be his running mate. Not because Senator Biden is a bad or incapable person - I don't believe either is true, but because this is Senator Biden's last hurrah.

Assuming that change is really what we need, and I believe all indicators support that, the Obama campaign brings a big pink elephant into the room. The fundamental effects of change through a Democratic process are not felt in four years - maybe, not even in eight. So, if Senator Obama is elected at the end of the day where is his succession plan? The answer: He doesn't have one.

On the flip side, Governor Palin last night made it very clear that she is the symbol for the succession plan for the Republican Party - something we have been sorely lacking. She has exactly the type of keep it real and get back to bascis philosophy we need. As David Brooks fairly notes, Governor Palin's personal charm would not have worked well in the past:

Their primal need for political survival having been satisfied, her supporters then looked for her to shift the momentum. And here we come to the interesting cultural question posed by her performance. The presidency and the vice presidency once was the preserve of white men in suits. As the historian Ellen Fitzpatrick pointed out on PBS Thursday night, if, in 1984, Geraldine Ferraro had spoken in the relentlessly folksy tones that Palin used, she would have been hounded out of politics as fundamentally unserious.

But that was before casual Fridays, boxers or briefs and T-shirt-clad Silicon Valley executives. Today, Palin can hit those colloquial notes again and again, and it is not automatically disqualifying.

But, it is not the past that concerns us. It is the future, and for our future Sarah Palin showed last night why she fits the bill perfectly. Is she an expert on all of the issues? No. But, this is where a knowledge of business is critical. The most successful CEO's in America know that they don't have to be the smartest person in the room. They need to surround themselves with those people, and then make an "executive decision" based on the facts those people present.

Some you may say that's how President Bush was sold to us. Unfortunately, President Bush has one fatal flaw as a great executive, and it is not his motivation or ethics. It is his loyalty. Time and time again, he kept people in jobs when they should have been transitioned out.

Now, let's bring this full circle. Who won last night's debate? Governor Sarah Palin won. She won because she was the one with the most to lose. The biggest question America had regarding Sarah Palin is can she hold her own, and the answer last night was a resounding yes. Is she more knowledgeable than Senator Biden? No. Considering the age and experience gap, Senator Biden would have to be a fool for that to be true, and Biden is not.

However, Biden is no longer running for President. Barack Obama is. And, like Sarah Palin, Senator Obama is a very capable person, but a person who needs a few more years of on the job training before moving into the position of the presidency. In fact, in many ways, Obama is less prepared than Governor Sarah Palin to lead.

There is a change needed in America. The cultural change has already occured, and in my humble opinion, Governor Sarah Palin demonstrated last night why the McCain/Plain ticket is the embodiement of that change, and the Obama.Biden ticket is not.

U.S Senate is Out of Touch

The Senate voted overwhelmingly for a bailout bill, and at the same time they took advantage of "the ecnomic crisis" to help some their favorite pet projects to some pork. That should convince you that it is business as usual in the U.S. Senate, and I hope the people's representatives in the House don't lose their backbone when it comes time to once again vote this bill down.

Worth a Chuckle

No Still Means No

The bailout plan failed, and contrary to the predictions of those in Washington, the world as we know it didn't come crashing down around our feet. So, what did we all do? We went about our daily business knowing that we would have to tighten up our belts and control our personal spending.

What did those in Congress do? Well, they decided: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again:

[House Republican Whip Roy] Blunt said one of the reasons he is more optimistic is that lawmakers are hearing less vocal opposition from their districts. He said that calls and e-mails to congressional offices that were running about 90 percent against the measure earlier now are at about "50-50."

Really, it's now "50-50." Any chance that's because we already told you how we felt, and now we actually have to make a living. Let me try and explain this for our Congressional Representatives the way I would explain it to my kids.

"I told you 'no' already, and I shouldn't have to keep telling you 'no.'"

Does Congress really think that 40 percent of the American public has changed their mind since last week? Why would we do that? What would be the cause. Nothing has changed for us. Everything is the same. We spoke loudly last week, and in a surprising turn of events, the Congress actually acted as Representatives of the people and voted down the bailout bill.

Now, if you want to go ahead and increase the FDIC insurance level, knock yourselves out. But, if you want to bundle that with a Wall Street bailout, please let me be clear... My answer is still a firm and resounding, "NO."