Did you see the fireworks?

The Constitution fair ended with a nice fireworks show. The kids enjoyed it again this and as usual we missed the Sunday evening activity. Something always happens, tonight it was a sick baby. Sept 17th is Constitution Day so the organizers of Constitution Week pick the closest Saturday.

We spent the day helping to set up. The organizers claim to have the largest Constitution Day celebration in the country. I don't think there are many challengers. Everyone loves to celebrate the 4th of July but not many on Sept 17th. Why do we do it? Because our country is founded on many documents with the Declaration and Constitution separated by thirteen years. The Declaration was about freedom and stated why we were willing to fight for it. But the Constitution gave us law and order. Without it we wouldn't have our government.

3 countries in Iraq

I was in favor of breaking up Iraq after we kicked Saddam out. 

It is a mistake. It would be a mistake to do so.  Let the people make their own countries. Iraq was a British creation which started the whole mess.  They also made the mess in Kashmir after WWII.  And they argued a long time against Israel.  I am glad the Brits are our allies but they sure made a mess of things when they collapsed their empire.

The Iraqi's should be left to choose their own fate and for now they have decided to stick together in one country.  That might be hard but they choose the challenge.  

Sarah is stupid

Sarah Palin is being called stupid. This idea is spreading among critics of the VP. This is a tired argument against conservative candidates. Look up the quotes about Reagan. He was called stupid constantly. Then Bush and now Palin. They are dismissed as stupid because they are conservative. Because intelligent people must be liberal, in their opinion. It won’t work in the campaign because there isn’t time for it to sink in and because of the sympathy that is generated by the vicious attacks against her. Although it has had some effect against those that don’t like Pres. Bush. For example, he is a good public speaker but most critics call him a bumbler. Strategory was a Saturday Night Live skit that stuck.

I would bet Pres Bush has a higher IQ than either Gore or Kerry who are considered intellectuals. He has performed well except for his socialist tendencies like no child left behind, embryonic stem cell research, medicare prescription drug program, business bailouts, “compassionate conservativism”, deficit spending etc. But other than that he is okay. Anyway, Sarah Palin is not stupid and her opponents should find a new criticism and a better method of attack. I heard part of the skit on SNL and the accent was pretty funny.

Why did Democrats lose the last two elections?

The answer to that is easy - because they nominated losers.  

But to be more specific, they lost by nominating someone from the extreme left.   Why don't they nominate someone more centrist?  Gore was a huge liberal.  Kerry was left of him.  And now Obama is left of Kerry.    Do they think that going farther left is a good strategy?  There are good democrats that are not among the Kennedy, Biden, Hillary crowd.  Why can't they fix their system so they can nominate one of them?

Gilbert Elections 2008

Primary is over - time to think of the general election. Get registered to vote, the deadline is Oct 7th



President
I wish there was another candidate to vote for other than John McCain. Where are my options?


Congress
No Senators up for election this year. Flake will win in this congressional district


State
Support Thayer for Senate, should be easy race. Andy Biggs has done a good job and should be returned to office. Who knows who the other guy is, but he will win because he has an R by his name. Hope he is a good guy. We'll see what these people are up to


Corporation Commission

no info



Gilbert
Council elections are in the spring.




Propositions
I will have to do some research. I will welcome any arguments. You can get info on elections website. I always vote no unless there is a compelling argument. New laws are generally worse than the old bad laws.


First is Prop 102 because that one is easy.
Vote yes on marriage amendment. Time to explain to the smart guys in black robes what marriage is.


Prop 100 real property
Prop 101 health care
Prop 102 YES marriage
Prop 105 Tax rules
Prop 200 Payday loans
Prop 201 Housing
Prop 202 Employee Identity
Prop 300 Salaries


Judicial Review
My theory to vote no to all on question to retain judges until they clean up their act. There are few that are good. You can usually find a list of those to support at the CAP website - but I don't see it up yet. I can update when I get more info

Fannie Freddie buyout

Do I need to say anything about this? Stupid, ignorant and wasteful. This rescue proves that GSE's cannot function. Don't ever try them again. Break these companies and sell them and let's return to capitalism. Socialism is designed to destroy markets and money. It performs every time. Don't bail out the big car companies. Let them die. America can continue without the existence of GM. (capitalism works too - I will be able to buy a another car from another new manufacturer.  Time for a new one to start.) Let banks and airlines fail.   They are not so critical that taxpayers need to come to rescue they are poorly managed and not prepared for changes in the market.  It is part of how things work. Everyone will be better when they go out of business, that happens as part of creative destruction.

Isn't the purpose of a loan to make money?  Is there any chance of taxpayers making money off all these bailouts?  Will I get an employee discount for insurance, airline tickets or car purchase from all these welfare handouts to businesses?

The most poorly managed, out of money, shortsighted, broken backwards corporation in the world is the US government.  What happened to all the cries about the dangerously large deficit?  What is now $400 billion?  There is no money to be giving out to companies.  It is fiction.

Obama on abortion

I grabbed this aim.org

Obama Regrets Abortion Answer
By Don September 7, 2008
In an interview aired on ABC's "This Week" Barack Obama says he probably was too flip with his answer to an abortion question posed by Pastor Rick Warren.
From the Politico.
Barack Obama says his answer about abortion at the Saddleback Church forum was probably” too flip.During separate televised interviews last month, Pastor Rick Warren asked the two presidential candidates when a baby gets human rights. Obama replied that the question is “above my pay grade,” while John McCain won love from the right by saying quickly, “At the moment of conception.”Now, Obama tells ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in an interview taped for “This Week”: “What I intended to say is that, as a Christian, I have a lot of humility about understanding when does the soul enter into … It's a pretty tough question. And so, all I meant to communicate was that I don't presume to be able to answer these kinds of theological questions.”
To most observers Obama did fare poorly at the Saddleback Forum and raised doubts about his ability to speak effectively off the cuff rather than from a teleprompter.

I will try to find this video and watch it. I am very curious about the pause in this sentence - "I have a lot of humility about understanding when does the soul enter into … It's a pretty tough question."

When the soul enters into .....what? What word would you put there? Why can't he finish a sentence?

9/11/08 p.s. I watched the video and you could see him struggle to avoid the dead end he was driving into. The pause was filled by George S. who threw in Augustine. Obama agreed with him but they are both on bad theological ground. Just as Nancy Pelosi - it was the same pit she fell into. But Archbishop Chaput is giving her a lifeline