A Final Q&A ...

Here's the Answer provided:

"You know, every parent brags on their daughters or their sons. You know, if your mom and dad don’t brag on you, you know you got problems ...

But man, my daughters are something. And — and they just surprise and enchant and impress me more and more every single day as they grow up. And, so these days when we talk, we talk as parent to child, but also we learn from them.

And, I think it was really interesting to see how Malia and Sasha reacted. They were disappointed.

They paid attention to what their mom said during the campaign and believed it because it’s consistent with what we have tried to teach them in our household and what I’ve tried to model as a father with their mom and what we’ve asked them to expect from future boyfriends or spouses. But what we’ve also tried to teach them is resilience and we’ve tried to teach them hope and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world.

And so, you get knocked down, you get up, brush yourself off and you get back to work. And that tended to be their attitude. I think neither of them intend to pursue a future of politics and in that, too, I think their mother’s influence shows.

(LAUGHTER)

But, both of them have grown up in an environment where I think they could not help, but be patriotic to love this country deeply, to see that it’s flawed, but see that they have responsibilities to fix it. And that they need to be active citizens. 

And they have to be in a position to talk to their friends and their teachers and their future co-workers in ways that try to shed some light as opposed to just generate a lot of sound and fury. And I expect that’s what they’re going to do. 

They do not — they don’t mope.

And — and what I really am proud of them, but what makes me proudest about them, is that they also don’t get cynical about it. They — they have not assumed because their side didn’t win or because some of the values that they care about don’t seem as if they were vindicated that automatically America has somehow rejected them or rejected their values. I don’t think they feel that way.

I think they have in part through osmosis, in part through dinner time conversations appreciated the fact that this is a big complicated country and democracy is messy, it doesn’t always work exactly the way you might want. It doesn’t guarantee certain outcomes. But if you — if you’re engaged and you’re involved, then there are a lot more good people than bad in this country and there’s a core decency to this country and — that they got to be a part of lifting that up. And I expect they will be.

And in that sense, they are representative of this generation that makes me really optimistic. I’ve been asked — I had — I’ve had some off-the-cuff (ph) conversations with some journalists where they said, “OK, you seem like you’re OK, but really, what are you really thinking?”

(LAUGHTER)

And I’ve said, “No, what I’m saying really is what I think.” I — I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad. I believe tragic things happen. I think there’s evil in the world, but I think at the end of the day, if we work hard and if we’re true to those things in us that feel true and feel right, that the world gets a little better each time. That’s what this presidency has tried to be about. And I see that in the young people I’ve worked with. I couldn’t be prouder of them.

And so, this is not just a matter of no drama Obama, this is — this is what I really believe. It is true that behind closed doors, I curse more than I do publicly...

(LAUGHTER)

... and sometimes I get mad and frustrated like everybody else does, but at my core, I think we’re going to be OK. We just have to fight for it, we have to work for it and not take it for granted."

-- Thus was the end of the Obama Presidency.

Lost in a 24-48 Hour News Cycle

A news cycle is a news cycle. For argument sake, let's say we're looking at 24-48 hours of reporting. A lot can happen in those 24-48 hours. Let's take a quick look, just off the top of my head (meaning no google research, here).

Bobby Knight supports Trump

Trump wins in Indiana

Cruz bows out

Carly Fiorena has shortest veep role in history

Cruz elbows his wife, twice.

Bernie Sanders wins in Indiana

Hillary Clinton doesn't win

John McCain issues a non-supportive, vague backing of Trump, then flip-flopped

Presidents Bush (41) and (43) extend distance from Trump, no GOP convention

President Obama visits Flint, Michigan, drinks the water

Kasich bows out

Trump has a taco salad, while insulting every Hispanic on earth

Speaker Ryan distances himself from Trump

That was about everything, right?

In the year 2016, it's the pictures that tell the story and decide the "real" value of the news, correct?

If some YouTube video is getting views, even if it's a continent away, it's worthy news for WBZ-TV as long as the Kardashian-Jay-Z/Beyonce-Adele fans tune-in and later fall for the click bait online. News directors in 2016 are simply air traffic controllers, mixing in some local information between the more alluring "trending" stories vetted by Facebook, Twitter and the other associate producers who've elbowed their way past the receptionists and right into the decision-makers den, the so-called "room where it happens."

While we were watching Carly fall, Cruz elbow and all the politicians running for office in 2016 embarrass themselves (and our country) once again, there was an interesting speech delivered in Flint, Michigan, right where those Cronkite-Huntley-Brinkley-loving media cameras focused on nothing but a sip of H2O.

Right there, right in front of their eyes and cameras, the following was said:

... "And as is true when disasters strike in other ways, people pitch in, they come together.  Because they imagine, “All right, that could have been me.”  That’s the good news.

  

The bad news is that this should not have happened in the first place.  (Applause.) 

And even though the scope of the response looks sort of like the efforts we’re used to seeing after a natural disaster, that’s not what this was.  This was a manmade disaster.  This was avoidable.  This was preventable.

Now, I’m not here to go through the full history of what happened.  Like a lot of manufacturing towns, Flint’s economy has been taking hits for decades now -- plants closing, jobs moving away.  Manufacturing has shrunk.  And that’s made it harder for the city to maintain city services.  And let’s face it, government officials at every level weren’t attentive to potential problems the way they should have been.  So they start getting short-staffed, they start getting a shrinking tax base, more demand for services.  Things start getting strained, and there’s not enough help from the outside.  And then when Flint’s finances collapsed, an emergency manager was put in place whose mandate was primarily to cut at all costs.  And then some very poor decisions were made.  All these things contributed to this crisis.  Many of you know the story.

Now, I do not believe that anybody consciously wanted to hurt the people in Flint.  And this is not the place to sort out every screw-up that resulted in contaminated water.  But I do think there is a larger issue that we have to acknowledge, because I do think that part of what contributed to this crisis was a broader mindset, a bigger attitude, a corrosive attitude that exists in our politics and exists in too many levels of our government.  (Applause.) 

And it’s a mindset that believes that less government is the highest good no matter what.  It’s a mindset that says environmental rules designed to keep your water clean or your air clean are optional, or not that important, or unnecessarily burden businesses or taxpayers.  It’s an ideology that undervalues the common good, says we’re all on our own and what’s in it for me, and how do I do well, but I’m not going to invest in what we need as a community.  And, as a consequence, you end up seeing an underinvestment in the things that we all share that make us safe, that make us whole, that give us the ability to pursue our own individual dreams.  So we underinvest in pipes underground.  We underinvest in bridges that we drive on, and the roads that connect us, and the schools that move us forward.  (Applause.)

And this is part of the attitude, this is part of the mindset:  We especially underinvest when the communities that are put at risk are poor, or don't have a lot of political clout -- (applause) -- and so are not as often heard in the corridors of power. 

And this kind of thinking -- this myth that government is always the enemy; that forgets that our government is us -- it’s us; that it’s an extension of us, ourselves -- that attitude is as corrosive to our democracy as the stuff that resulted in lead in your water.  Because what happens is it leads to systematic neglect.  It leads to carelessness and callousness.  (Applause.)  It leads to a lot of hidden disasters that you don't always read about and aren’t as flashy, but that over time diminish the life of a community and make it harder for our young people to succeed.

In one of the roundtables, I was listening to somebody -- I think it was a pastor who told me, you know, it made us feel like we didn't count.  And you can't have a democracy where people feel like they don't count, where people feel like they're not heard.

And that attitude ignores how this country was built, our entire history -- which is based on the idea that we're all connected and that what happens in a community like Flint matters everybody, and that there are things that we can only do together, as a nation, as a people, as a state, as a city that no man is an island.

We've been debating this since the Republic began:  What are our individual responsibilities and what are our collective responsibilities.  And that's a good debate.  But I’ve always believed what the first Republican President, a guy named Abraham Lincoln, said.  He said we should do individually those things that we do best by ourselves.  But through our government, we should do together what we can't do as well for ourselves.  (Applause.)

So it doesn't matter how hard you work, how responsible you are, or how well you raise your kids -- you can't set up a whole water system for a city.  That's not something you do by yourself.  You do it with other people.  You can't hire your own fire department, or your own police force, or your own army.  There are things we have to do together -- basic things that we all benefit from.  And that’s how we invested in a rail system and a highway system.  That's how we invested in public schools.  That's how we invested in science and research. (These) ... how we invested in community colleges and land grant colleges like Michigan State.  (Applause.)

"Can I get some water?  (Applause.)  Come on up here.  Give me some water.  I want a glass of water.  I want a glass of water.  Sit down.  I’m all right.  I’m going to get a glass of water right here.  Let’s make sure we find one.  It will be filtered.  Hold on, I’m going to talk about that in a second.  Settle down, everybody.

Where was I?  We invested in our communities and our cities.  And by making those investments in the common good, we invested in ourselves.  That's the platform we create that allows each of us independently to succeed.  That’s what made America great.

So the people in Flint, and across Michigan, and around the country -- individuals and church groups and non-for-profits and community organizations -- you've proven that the American people will step up when required.  And our volunteers, our non-for-profits, they're the lifeblood of our communities.  We so appreciate what you do.  (Applause.) 

But volunteers don’t build county water systems and keep lead from leaching into our drinking glasses.  We can’t rely on faith groups to reinforce bridges and repave runways at the airport.  We can’t ask second-graders, even ones as patriotic as Isiah Britt who raised all that money, to raise enough money to keep our kids healthy.

You hear a lot about government overreach, how Obama -- he’s for big government.  Listen, it’s not government over-reach to say that our government is responsible for making sure you can wash your hands in your own sink, or shower in your own home, or cook for your family.  (Applause.)  These are the most basic services.  There is no more basic element sustaining human life than water.  It’s not too much to expect for all Americans that their water is going to be safe."

***

Toss that into the 24-48 hour news cycle and there was barely an American - whether a person truly in-the-know or one that binges on Fox News - that was exposed to those important words and mindset because the actual important news was buried between the trendy viral tidbits that drive ratings or online impressions. If it were to be truly reported, sadly no one would spend the time to listen.

With that in mind, I'm not writing to bash the media and I'm not, oh so idealistic to state that I expect everyone to stop, read, watch, print-out transcripts, delve deeper than their regular sources of news and information, seek the truth or some (biased or not) opinions of the truth and/or facts reported to them. I'm not that naive.

I simply wonder what happened.

Why was the speech over-looked?

Don't the ideals of our President's speech deserve mention and then some discussion on the bigger issue he laid-out for us? (Calling Scott Pelley, here).

I don't know why. Do you?

Okay, I Just Had to Post "The Daily Show"

Without commentary from the gallery, I give you ... 

GroundHog Deja ClusterF#$%

For those of us who enjoyed giving President George W. Bush a hard time, it's been an interesting time to "re-ass-ess" and eat some humble pie. In other words, this is must see tv. 

Of course, I might remind all, we could've elected - not a card-carrying but a card-playing Republican, if it weren't for a slight 365-to-173 Electoral College, Class of '08 advantage.

Anyway, I give you... the Return of the Daily Show:

Thank You, Mr. President - May God Bless You

May God Bless President Barack Obama and his wonderful family as they inspire us to "get it done" and get this country back on its feet once again. It CAN be done in 2013. And, the world is depending on us all to get our collective "acts" together.

In that spirit, I give you a proper salute to The President of the United States, Vice President Joe Biden and all of our elected officials who really need to stop the bullshit and move us forward.  Now.  No more bickering.  Get it done.  Hear that Speaker Boehner, Rep. Pelosi ... It's time to move forward!

Listen to the man.  It's time.

The Gettysburgh Address vs. violence in these United States

The Capitol of the U.S.A.

Last night, the President of the United States delivered the most difficult speech made by a politician since Senator Ted Kennedy eulogized his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, at a service held at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral, June 8, 1968.

Just a few days after his brother was brutally assassinated, Teddy gave a speech, not as a fellow United States Senator, but the younger Kennedy spoke more of his older brother and described his brother's viewpoint on life in such a famous family.

Said Teddy of Bobby with Ted's voice literally shaking from his distraught emotional state of mind: 

"He gave us strength in times of trouble, wisdom in times of uncertainty, and sharing in times of happiness. He was always by our side."

He continued: "Love is not an easy feeling to put into words. Nor is loyalty, or trust or joy. But he was all of these. He loved life completely and lived it intensely."

"A few years back, Robert Kennedy wrote some words about his own father and they expressed the way we in his family feel about him. He said of what his father meant to him: "What it really all adds up to is love – not love as it is described with such facility in popular magazines, but the kind of love that is affection and respect, order, encouragement, and support. Our awareness of this was an incalculable source of strength, and because real love is something unselfish and involves sacrifice and giving, we could not help but profit from it.

"Beneath it all, he has tried to engender a social conscience. There were wrongs which needed attention. There were people who were poor and who needed help. And we have a responsibility to them and to this country. Through no virtues and accomplishments of our own, we have been fortunate enough to be born in the United States under the most comfortable conditions. We, therefore, have a responsibility to others who are less well off."

***

President Barack Obama was asked to speak at a multi-faith service in Newtown, Connecticut to begin the mourning process for the small New England community and the large nation it represents so well.

President Obama's Sunday evening speech, tucked in between remarks by clergymen of all faiths, will become known as the Gettysburgh Address vs. Violence and it could very well go down in history as Obama's contribution to worldwide society, if and only if, he can use his power and the power of the executive branch of the US Government to create change. He will need to create change in the stubborn minds of a nation of stubborn people, along with those and their "living in the past" politicians who wave the flag, if and only if, the act fits their own selfish agendas.

The President tipped his hand, as he noted, it is not one law, nor one set of laws nor many other things that become excuses for inaction.  He simply stated, "we have to do a better job" and we have to start somewhere, not tonight, but tomorrow.  Yes, first thing Monday morning.  

Let's Go.

Here are a few snippets from the speech - and, full video and a transcript will be provided, in case you missed it or its 10,000 replays on cable tv news.

"This job of keeping our children safe and teaching them well is something we can only do together," he told the hushed audience. "This is our first task: taking care of our children.

It's our first job. If we don't get that right, we don't get anything right."

He then asked whether "we as a nation" are meeting that obligation.

"The answer is no, and we will have to change," he said.

 Obama said this was the fourth mass shooting during his presidency, and there were countless other acts of gun violence on a smaller scale."We can't tolerate this anymore," he said. "These tragedies must end, and to end them we must change."

A post for parents everywhere ...

Tonight, I am very proud to call President Obama and his wonderful wife, Michelle,  fellow-citizens of the USA. I am even more proud to call our President a fellow parent.

I think we will all agree, the FLOTUS is and has been a model parent for all of us to admire and her efforts as a Mom were clearly stated when the family moved to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in 2008-09. Those facts on this subject are indisputable and I will attempt to tell you why I believe so.

The President's statement earlier today reminded us all that, whatever our occupation, we are first and foremost PARENTS.  Parenting is the REAL job.  Our occupations are temporary jobs, whether they are 25+ year careers in the business world or eight-year terms in The White House -- certainly one of the toughest jobs of 'em all.

President Obama took a few minutes today, to step back from his job and stand at a podium in The White House briefing room and be a parent.  In doing so, he helped countless numbers of fellow-parents who shared his pain as we sympathized with and mourned for the parents of some 20 little children senselessly murdered today, one of the two worst days of my lifetime.

Sadly, so sadly, we shared only 1-1-zillionth of the pain forever inflicted on the parents in our neighboring state of Connecticut. The parents, and all of their loved ones, maybe the parents of the parents - the grandmothers and grandfathers - who not only lost their grandchild but also lost their sons or daughters who will never, ever be the same. I just can't write - can't even imagine the depth of their pain, the horror of the parents of those 20 kids and the families of the other (adult) victims of the premeditated crime carried out in Newtown, CT.

One day, my ole boss and, now, thankfully, very good, maybe best friend, Brian, once said to me, "T, you won't even imagine the love you'll feel.  It is beyond anything you have ever felt in your life."

He was right. 

He was describing the love he has for his wonderful kids, Brendan and Catherine. He was teaching me the real meaning of parenthood.

It took me a few years to "get it," a term I often write about here. Amazingly, even though you love them and are amazed by them as newborns, somehow, the love actually grows.

To have that human relationship taken away in one instant on a 'normal' December school day is beyond the most horrific nightmare, beyond our worst fear, beyond comprehension for any peaceful human being. Even the worst moments of war would not allow for the close-range, direct murder of little children - even in the depths of hell on earth that is war.

I wrote it just before on FB as I tried to gather some thoughts.  I have nothing on this.  Just nothing left.  I will step up and will do my very best to be a responsible parent and I'll try and try and try to process this terrible, terrible experience of our lives.

My thoughts? Life seems to be much harder. It's been harder to live, harder to endure, harder to explain the countless tragedies, the unfathomable but regular occurrences of mass murders in these United States. Harder to endure the meaningless call for control(s) today and why they were not being called for yesterday or the day before.  How can it be discussed at this time? Plus, it's hard to know whether it would even matter.

I am typing but I am no longer writing. I am grieving, still.  My children are in their nice little bedrooms, safely tucked under their covers, yet they are still so vulnerable.  Why?

Yes, why?

That was the question my daughter asked of me.

"Why?"

And, I am struggling because I have no answer. And, I am struggling to be able to look my children in their beautiful eyes because they will see the tears welled in my eyes for days and days to come.

They are too smart, too perceptive to try to "act" or "pretend" around them, so I will gather the strength to provide to them some form of semblance or resolve or belief that tomorrow will be a better day and the sun will come up and we will endure and we can make a difference, maybe a big difference.

Tonight, I have no strength. But, I will rest, awake and I will try to do my REAL job, and like Barack Obama, I will be try to be a good parent.

May God Bless the families in Connecticut.  The prayers of a nation in mourning are being said for you all tonight, tomorrow and for a very long time ahead. And, we will, somehow, try to help you all.

Bowling for Cuyahoga?

#Obama & #BowlingGreen Take #Ohio - a feat #Romney could not accomplish - digitalsportsdesk.sportsdirectinc.com/football/ncaaf…
— DigitalSportsDesk (@DigSportsDesk) November 8, 2012

The Right to Vote and an explanation of the facts behind my own voting choices:

To start today's Election Day blog post, I'm going to quote the words of a good friend from here in the Commonwealth.

"The school of thought that because you are informed and pay attention to what is happening in the country and the world around you means that everyone who comes to a different conclusion is not ludicrous (nor) counterproductive. Go out and vote your heart tomorrow and then accept the results, move on and respect winners, the will of the majority and the choices they made. We all deserve that and nothing less."

USA! USA! USA!

With that thought in mind on this Election Day 2012, I urge all American citizens old enough to have the right to vote to get far beyond the media filter, do your own research to make your own decision(s).  I can't stand it when people take misguided and inaccurate statements from ill-informed media or ignorant fellow citizens who parrot inaccuracies. No generalities. Just FACTs. No lame drame, Just FACTS.

One such claim that I read and hear far too often, sometimes from erroneous political ads is --  "Oh, Obama hasn't done enough.  Even former Private Equity Investor Mitt Romney made this statement (his exact words):  "Almost everything he did hurt the economy." (That sir, is a false statement, an out-right lie and a conscious effort to mislead the voters).

Well, here is a (partial) list of some of the things accomplished - with my Top 10 and then a more "complete" partial list...

1. Recovery Act to begin to pull the economy together.

2. Auto Industry support - saved millions of jobs and turned the tide that would have very likely resulted in an all-out Depression.

3. American Opportunity and Pell Grants to help students and families fund college education.

4. Signed 18 tax cuts to help small businesses.

5. Healthcare Reform, an accomplishment no other President was able to do in 100+ years.

6. Healthcare act also stopped Insurance Co's from discrimination against some policy holders; helped insure and keep policies for those with prior/existing conditions. (17 million kids benefitted)

7. Overhaul of many Federal Govt regulations to save time, money, establish policy.

8. Investment in clean energy solutions.

9. Massive Wall St and Banking reform - to benefit the consumer not the Banks. (Championed by Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren too)

10. Tremendous record as Commander in Chief, especially to support the Vets, serviceman and their families while taking key steps to eliminate Al Queda regime to bring 9/11 terrorists to justice.

***

So ... Strong International Policy (Foreign relations) - as he "began" to build back the USA rep to the world after what was absolutely LOST from 2000-2008 ... Equal Pay (Ledbetter Act),  Consumer protection policy for the very people/corps who "broke" the economy and he fought for the Rights for Women (Reproductive healthcare issues; and so many, many more.... Please see:

1. The first bill President Obama signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to help women fight back when they don't get equal pay for equal work.
2. His Recovery Act supported millions of jobs and helped to stave off a second Great Depression.
3. He pushed for and won middle class tax cuts that benefited every American worker, and saved the typical family $3,600 in taxes over the last four years.
4. President Obama rescued the auto industry, and now GM and Chrysler are healthier than they've ever been. The American auto industry has added nearly a quarter of a million jobs since June 2009—and they most likely wouldn't exist right now without President Obama's leadership.
5. He doubled funding for Pell Grants, helping to make college more affordablefor nearly 10 million families.
6. His student loan reform ended billions in subsidies to banks serving as middlemen and reinvested those savings directly in students.
7. The President established the American Opportunity Tax Credit, worth up to $10,000 over four years of college.
8. His Race to the Top Initiative helped spur nearly every state to raise academic standards.
9. His tax cuts, social-welfare programs, and economic policies lifted nearly 7 million Americans above the federal poverty line in 2010.
10. President Obama has signed 18 tax cuts for small businesses since taking office.
11. We've seen 5.2 million new private sector jobs over the last 31 months.
12. The unemployment rate is at the lowest level since President Obama took office.
13. Health care reform—passed after decades of failed attempts by every previous president—provides affordable health coverage to every American and will lower premiums by an average of $2,000 per family by 2019.
14. Obamacare expanded access to lifesaving preventive care such as cancer screenings and immunizations with no out-of-pocket costs for 54 million Americans.
15. Obamacare ends insurance discrimination against the 129 million Americans with pre-existing conditions.
16. Because of Obamacare, over 3 million more young adults have health insurance today than would if the new law hadn't passed.
17. The parents of over 17 million children with pre-existing conditions no longer have to worry that their children will be denied coverage.
18. President Obama has ordered the overhaul of federal government regulationsto make them smarter, practical, and more efficient. Just a fraction of these common-sense initiatives will help save businesses $10 billion in the next five years alone.
19. His historic investments in clean energy have helped more than double the amount of electricity we obtain from wind and solar sources and helped increase biofuel production to its highest level in history.
20. President Obama is doubling fuel efficiency standards, which will save drivers more than $8,000 at the gas pump, not to mention lessen the impact of automobiles on our environment.
21. President Obama has taken unprecedented action to address climate change, reaching historic international agreements to curb carbon emissions, and taking action here at home to reduce carbon pollution from our vehicles and promote clean energy production.
22. He has taken historic action to protect our environment—signing one of the largest expansions of protected wilderness in a generation and putting in place standards to reduce toxic air pollution that will save thousands of lives.
23. President Obama fought for and won landmark Wall Street reform that reins in the abuses that led to the financial crisis and ends the era of taxpayer bailouts and "too big to fail."
24. Wall Street reform created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the nation's first federal agency focused solely on consumer financial protection—and the Bureau is already protecting families from unfair and abusive financial practices from Wall Street banks and shadowy corners of the financial industry.
25. As part of President Obama's commitment to transparency, the White House has posted its visitor records online for the first time ever.
26. President Obama's all-of-the-above approach to energy has helped cut the United States' dependence on foreign oil to its lowest level in 20 years.
27. President Obama responsibly ended the war in Iraq.
28. He announced a plan to end the war in Afghanistan and transition security responsibility to the Afghan people.
29. President Obama sent the largest security assistance package to Israel in history and funded the Iron Dome system, which is protecting Israeli homes and schools from rocket attacks.
30. President Obama rallied the international community to implement the toughest sanctions on Iran in history.
31. Through the President's historic increases in Veterans Affairs funding, he has expanded and improved healthcare and job training access for our returningveterans.
32. President Obama negotiated the New START Treaty with Russia to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in both countries. At the same time, he also secured commitments from dozens of other countries to lock down nuclear materials.
33. His administration naturalized 11,146 military servicemembers as U.S. citizensin 2010; more than in any year since 1955.
34. President Obama set a bold new plan for the future of NASA space exploration, using the skill and ability of the private sector for short trips to the International Space Station, while building a new vehicle for exploration of distant space, and doing everything in his power to support the economy on Florida's Space Coast.
35. President Obama recognizes that tourism is one of America's largesteconomic engines; he's worked to encourage international visitors to come here, maintaining our security while keeping millions of Americans in good, paying jobs.
36. He has affirmed his personal support of marriage equality, directed the Justice Department to stop defending DOMA in federal courts, and took the practical and compassionate step of extending hospital visitation rights to same-sex partners.
37. He fought for and won the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", allowing gay and lesbian members of the military to serve openly for the first time in history.
38. When Congress failed to fix our broken immigration system, his administration did everything in its power to improve it, streamlining the legal immigration process and announcing a policy that lifts the shadow of deportation from hard working young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
39. Oh, and he gave the order to send troops in after Osama Bin Laden—and has decimated al Qaeda's senior leadership.

Romney on FEMA: As Herm Edwards Would Say, "HELLO?"

Mitt? Since CNN's John King was probably reaching for a stun gun or maybe a pint of Scotch after your answer to this question and he failed to follow-up, I have to ask?

When a massive natural disaster, like Katrina or Sandy come along, are you saying the States should budget and pay for the clean-up, medical care or the injured, and the rebuilding projects that result from the damage? And, meanwhile, the rest of our country, including the Federal govt. is just going to stand back and watch its fellow American citizens suffer?  Won't your viewpoint result in State and local taxes soaring?

Take it further? I believe you said, "From the States to the private sector."

So instead of American Red Cross or FEMA coming to our aide, it would be a for-profit company ready to bill me or my local town to remove the 60-foot fir tree blocking the street?  Do I have that right, ole Mitt, me boy?

If I do, then just keep on campaigning and letting us all know how you feel, how you'll run the country and how your ignorant viewpoint will effect our lives, the budgets of the States, Towns and individuals living in these  United States.  Or, I guess under Mitt Romney, we can change the name of the country to "The Country formerly known as United States, now just sovereign States."

The question voters need to ask themselves before they walk in to vote next week is this:

"Is Mitt Romney just ignorant? Out of touch with reality? Did he just miss Math the day they taught Math? Does he think anything out to its fullest extent before he shoots his mouth off from a pulpit, err podium?

What will the trickle down of Romney's views on Federal government do to your local, state, property taxes, sales taxes?"  Where will the money come from?

If Mitt is elected, will a single woman choose to remain in the USA? 

Get rid of Planned Parenthood?

Get rid of Healthcare Act?

Require States to create their own versions of FEMA?

Where else would he choose to cut Federal responsibilities?

Transportation? Highway care? Air Traffic? (And, in the most telling action, see the story from Boston (dot) com below this video...

October 31, 2012 -

***

In the "Can't make this stuff up category of political comedy, here's what Flip, err, Mitt had to say today:


Mitt Romney on Wednesday stepped up his support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, further rebuffing accusations that he would end funding for disaster relief if elected president.

“I believe that FEMA plays a key role in working with states and localities to prepare for and respond to natural disasters,” Romney said in a statement. “As president, I will ensure FEMA has the funding it needs to fulfill its mission, while directing maximum resources to the first responders who work tirelessly to help those in need, because states and localities are in the best position to get aid to the individuals and communities affected by natural disasters.”

Romney’s comments last year during a GOP debate in New Hampshire were interpreted by some as a call to eliminate FEMA altogether.

“Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that’s the right direction,” Romney said. “And if you can go even further, and send it back to the private sector, that’s even better.”

The topic has taken on greater political implications as the federal government mobilizes to provide relief for communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy this week.

Keeping your distance?

I find it very interesting that current advisers of one Willard "Mitt" Romney keep their man, the keeper of binders full of women, far, far away from previous Republican icons such as former Presidents George "41" Bush, candidate Bob Dole, George W. Bush, candidate and current Arizona Senator John McCain, 2012 party candidates Newt Gingrich, Texas Governor Rick Perry, magnate Herman Cain,  US Rep. Ron Paul, former veep Dick Cheney or, god forbid, former veep candidate Sarah Palin.

Hmm, wonder why?  

Embarrassed by the past? Looking toward the future?

Never in a million years would I ever think Veep Joe Biden would be compared to a Musk Ox running across the Tundra?

Here is the esteemed 2008 GOP veep candidate and she is downright hysterical:

Oh, Mitt - We need the FACTS, Not a FAX.

There's only one possible explanation.  When Mitt Romney is asked for the FACTS, he must think someone is asking him to send a FAX. The guy just doesn't compute.

It might be his ability to perform? It might spur from the day he stabbed his buddy in the back and hit on the other girl who eventually, thankfully, romantically, I guess, became his bride.  How nice. But, he must've missed math the day they taught math class. Or, maybe, calling upon his corporate background and wealth management resume, he simply knows how to cook the books.

DC: Washington Monument (T. Peter Lyons)

So after the POTUS stuck to the facts, abided by the so-called rules of a Presidential Debate where Jim Lehrer "let 'em play" like the old days of Earl Strom, Jake O'Donnell and Jack Madden, we were left to hear all the pundits claim victory for Mr. Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts who instituted universal healthcare in the Commonwealth, seconds after the spin-room flacks hit the airwaves.

Long have I thought that the former Governor ...  Mr. Romney ... Mitt to his friends, family and followers ... has a tendency to omit (oh-Mitt?) the facts. He carves up a story, the studies or the analysis of the real economy to fit his pre-conceived notion for what he (honestly, I'm sure) hopes, prays, believes MIGHT occur. He overlooks specifics and has chosen not to make his plans public until after the election?

Problem-o! None of it adds up and - worse than that - our recent history a.k.a - The Bush presidency - proves the mathematics don't work.  They don't compuete in any way,  by any study - except in Sean Hannity's warped mind, may he be placed in a padded room and rest in peace.

Here's the scoop:

without raising taxes on the middle class. Those rate reductions would cost $5 trillion, according to the analysis, and Obama characterized Romney's plan as a $5 trillion tax cut during the debate. That statement that has drawn fire from conservatives who note that Romney has also proposed closing loopholes and ending deductions in the tax code, and the Romney campaign is currently running a television ad accusing Obama of misrepresenting Romney's plan by using the $5 trillion figure.
Romney adviser Ed Gillespie, appearing on "This Week," repeated Romney's debate claim that six other studies back up his contention that he can pay for the tax cuts without eliminating benefits for the middle class. As reported everywhere, however, three of the so-called studies are blog posts or opinion columns, and others say that Romney would have to eliminate perks for those making $100,000 a year in order to pay for his plan. Romney, meanwhile, supports extending the Bush-era tax cuts for those who make over $250,000 a year, which means he would have to raise taxes on people making between $100,000 and $250,000 while explicitly maintaining tax breaks for people making more than $250,000.>

So, where does this fall?

I might call this section of the debate to your attention:

PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTOR ROMNEY - (early on) - "First of all, I don't have a $5 trillion tax cut. I don't have a tax cut of a scale that you're talking about. My view is that we ought to provide tax relief to people in the middle class. But I'm not going to reduce the share of taxes paid by high-income people. High-income people are doing just fine in this economy. They'll do fine whether you're president or I am. The people who are having the hard time right now are middle-income Americans. Under the president's policies, middle-income Americans have been buried. They're just being crushed. Middle-income Americans have seen their income come down by $4,300. This is a -- this is a tax in and of itself. I'll call it the economy tax. It's been crushing."

PRESIDENT OBAMA: (countering) - "Now, four years ago, when I stood on this stage, I said that I would cut taxes for middle-class families. And that's exactly what I did. We cut taxes for middle-class families by about $3,600.

"And the reason is, because I believe that we do best when the middle class is doing well. And by giving them those tax cuts, they had a little more money in their pocket, and so maybe they can buy a new car. They are certainly in a better position to weather the extraordinary recession that we went through. They can buy a computer for their kid who's going off to college, which means they're spending more money, businesses have more customers, businesses make more profits, and then hire more workers.

Now, Governor Romney's proposal that he has been promoting for 18 months calls for a $5 trillion tax cut, on top of $2 trillion of additional spending for our military. And he is saying that he is going to pay for it by closing loopholes and deductions. The problem is that he's been asked over 100 times how you would close those deductions and loopholes, and he hasn't been able to identify them.

But I'm going to make an important point here, Jim.

When you add up all the loopholes and deductions that upper-income individuals can -- are currently taking advantage of, you take those all away, you don't come close to paying for $5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in additional military spending.

FORMER BAIN & ASSOCIATES CEO ROMNEY: (attempting to counter) - "Well, but -- but virtually -- virtually everything he just said about my tax plan is inaccurate."

What I've said is I won't put in place a tax cut that adds to the deficit. That's part one. So there's no economist that can say Mitt Romney's tax plan adds $5 trillion if I say I will not add to the deficit with my tax plan.

Number two, I will not reduce the share paid by high-income individuals. I know that you and your running mate keep saying that and I know it's a popular thing to say with a lot of people, but it's just not the case.

OBAMA - (countering and making sense to any reasonable and educated person) - "Well, for 18 months he's been running on this tax plan. And now, five weeks before the election, he's saying that his big, bold idea is, "Never mind."

And the fact is that if you are lowering the rates the way you described, Governor, then it is not possible to come up with enough deductions and loopholes that only affect high-income individuals to avoid either raising the deficit or burdening the middle class. It's -- it's math. It's arithmetic.

Now, Governor Romney and I do share a deep interest in encouraging small-business growth. So at the same time that my tax plan has already lowered taxes for 98 percent of families, I also lowered taxes for small businesses 18 times. And what I want to do is continue the tax rates -- the tax cuts that we put into place for small businesses and families.

But I have said that for incomes over $250,000 a year, that we should go back to the rates that we had when Bill Clinton was president, when we created 23 million new jobs, went from deficit to surplus, and created a whole lot of millionaires to boot. And the reason this is important is because by doing that, we cannot only reduce the deficit, we cannot only encourage job growth through small businesses, but we're also able to make the investments that are necessary in education or in energy.

And we do have a difference, though, when it comes to definitions of small business. Under -- under my plan, 97 percent of small businesses would not see their income taxes go up. Governor Romney says, well, those top 3 percent, they're the job creators, they'd be burdened.

But under Governor Romney's definition, there are a whole bunch of millionaires and billionaires who are small businesses. Donald Trump is a small business. Now, I know Donald Trump doesn't like to think of himself as small anything, but -- but that's how you define small businesses if you're getting business income.

And that kind of approach, I believe, will not grow our economy, because the only way to pay for it without either burdening the middle class or blowing up our deficit is to make drastic cuts in things like education, making sure that we are continuing to invest in basic science and research, all the things that are helping America grow. And I think that would be a mistake.

Jim, I -- you may want to move onto another topic, but I -- I would just say this to the American people. 

If you believe that we can cut taxes by $5 trillion and add $2 trillion in additional spending that the military is not asking for, $7 trillion -- just to give you a sense, over 10 years, that's more than our entire defense budget -- and you think that by closing loopholes and deductions for the well-to-do, somehow you will not end up picking up the tab, then Governor Romney's plan may work for you.

But I think math, common sense, and our history shows us that's not a recipe for job growth. Look, we've tried this. We've tried both approaches. The approach that Governor Romney's talking about is the same sales pitch that was made in 2001 and 2003, and we ended up with the slowest job growth in 50 years, we ended up moving from surplus to deficits, and it all culminated in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Bill Clinton tried the approach that I'm talking about. We created 23 million new jobs. We went from deficit to surplus. And businesses did very well. So, in some ways, we've got some data on which approach is more likely to create jobs and opportunity for Americans and I believe that the economy works best when middle-class families are getting tax breaks so that they've got some money in their pockets, and those of us who have done extraordinarily well because of this magnificent country that we live in, that we can afford to do a little bit more to make sure we're not blowing up the deficit."

BAIN OFFSHORE INVESTOR ROMNEY: (at his low point of the entire campaign) - "Jim, the president began this segment, so I think I get the last word." ... All right. Well, but he gets the first word of that segment. I get the last word (inaudible) I hope. Let me just make this comment.

I think first of all, let me -- let me repeat -- let me repeat what I said. I'm not in favor of a $5 trillion tax cut. That's not my plan. My plan is not to put in place any tax cut that will add to the deficit. That's point one.

So you may keep referring to it as a $5 trillion tax cut, but that's not my plan.

Number two, let's look at history. My plan is not like anything that's been tried before. My plan is to bring down rates, but also bring down deductions and exemptions and credits at the same time so the revenue stays in, but that we bring down rates to get more people working."

***

TERRY LYONS: "So what do I think?  EXACTLY, what is the plan that will not add to the deficit, Mr. Romney?  Can I see the details of that plan before the election, please?  I think I have the right to ask that simple question and get a complete answer - maybe even a plan with a timeline and numbers on your campaign site before I vote, eh?  (If it's there, please send the URL).

Personally, after loking for days and days, I still can't find any details to Mr. Romney's "plan that's is not like anything tried before."  And, being in the toughest of financial times, certainly the toughest of our lifetime (not that of the Greatest Generation, who will really get screwed by Mr. Romney's so-called "plan") - I am NOT sure I'd like to try a plan that hasn't been tried before?

Maybe you'd like to roll the dice with a plan that looks an awful lot like what Mr. Bush did to us, before he rode off to the Texas sunset leaving the biggest mess in American history on the deak at the Oval office - (and, oh yeah, Obama was supposed to clean that up in four years with a Speaker of the House who won't give him the time of day).

By the way, I can't find his healthcare plan, either - other than "I'll leave it to the States" (where the USA is 1-for-49 ... that's .020 for you batting average or FT % guys).

So, now?

Who won this debate?

What are the FACTS?  Did anyone in the country of ours take a math class?  Ever?

Please be sure to vote.

Anticipation of a Great Debate ...

The first debate of the 2012 USA Presidential campaign is upon us.  Oh, my goodness, the time has come, like a Carly Simon song for a ketchup commercial.  The an-an-an-tic-ipation, it's making me wait!

Will it be as good as Ali vs. Frazier? Army vs. Navy? Lakers vs the Celtics? 

Maybe not.

Like a hit song stuck in the cortex... a.k.a. an ear worm ..  the only vision I have in mind when I think of President Obama debating against Mitt Romney is this:

Don't Back Down from ... The Truth

President Bill Clinton delivering the truth:

FLOTUS .. with a speech that is truly inspirational

Michelle Obama is terrific:

RNC Owes it to USA - No More Liars on Stage, please

The "liberal' media gave the RNC a free ride by not having a fact-checker and lie-detector unit hired and wired by each media outlet to buzz each and every lie put forth to a convention hall full of gullible stiffs who do not know any better than to believe their party leaders.

It's a sham and a shame.

While many of us view it for its value in setting a new bar in the unintentional comedy world record meter, others actually believe the stuff being tossed around as fact by the puppets of Mitt Romney, Karl Rove and their brothers in harm.

Want some insight?

Read this, written by a good friend and an honest journalism student:

TAMPA, Fla. — It was about halfway through the speech given by Mary Fallin, by the grace of a pitiless god, the governor of Oklahoma, where I finally came close to losing it. She rolled herself into this remarkable passage:

The history of my great state of Oklahoma offers a great example of pursuing the American Dream. It was built and settled by pioneers movibe west to seek better lives. During the Great Land Run of 1889, thousands of families rushed to put a stake down on empty plots of land. They built tent cities overnight. They farmed the land and they worked hard. And, in 1897, eight years after the land run, a handful of adventurous pioneers risked their own money — not the federal government's money — to drill Oklahoma's first oil well, the Nellie Johnstone. By doing so, these early-day pioneers changed the future and Oklahoma forever and today Oklahoma is one of the nation's key energy producers and job creators. President Obama wants us to believe that Oklahomans owe that success to the federal government — to the Department Of Energy,to the EPA, to the IRS, or maybe even to him. Mr. President, we know better. As we say in Oklahoma, that dog won't hunt.

Handed in as a seventh-grade history essay, this would get no better than a D. Delivered to the convention of one of our only two political parties, it was perhaps the most singularly dishonest speech I have ever seen a politician give, and I grew up in Massachusetts, and Willard Romney was once my governor. My god, Oklahomans wouldn't even have Oklahoma without the federal government, without the Homestead Act of 1889 or the Railroad Act — both, by the way, achievements of a Republican presidents named Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Harrison. And the land wasn't exactly "empty," Governor. It got emptied by a big-government program called the United States Army. You know what your state would be without the federal government, Governor, without the votes for the legislation from congressmen from the east and north, without the soldiers from New England and the Great Lakes? You know what Oklahoma would be?

Sand, with a whole lot of pissed-off Native Americans.

I'm not sure if it will be played this way. Ann Romney was sweet and lovely — and very defensive about people "attacking" hubby's success, but only as a "mom," of course — and Chris Christie brought down the house. But the Republican Party did something remarkable at its convention on Tuesday. It set out on an experiment to see exactly how much unmitigated hogwash the American political system can contain on a single evening. The Republican Party has set out at its 2012 convention in search of the Event Horizon of utter bullshit. It has sought to see precisely how many lies, evasions, elisions, and undigestible chunks of utter gobbledegook the political media can swallow before it finally gags twice and falls over dead, leaving the rest of America suckers all the same. What you didn't see in primetime, from Arthur Davis to Ted Cruz, and from one 2016 contender to another, was the GOP embarking upon the task of seeing exactly how much nonsense it could produce at top volume before democracy screams and gives up, like Noriega in Panama when they played the metal music at him.

It was something to see, I'll tell you. An entire evening based on a demonstrable lie.

The theme was We Did Build It — which, as every sentient being knows, is a mendacious barbering of something the president said a while back. (On the video screens in the hall, television commercials based on a severely edited version of the president's remarks were interspersed between the speeches, just in case somebody sought relief from the lies for a couple of seconds.) And there also was a lot of talk about how the various speakers Did Build It.

There was Jack Gilchrist from New Hampshire, the metal-shop owner, who was briefly an important Romney surrogate until it was revealed that his company took a few cool millions in small-business loans. There was Sher Valenzuela, running for lieutenant governor of Delaware, who talked about how she and her husband Did Build their business. She also talked about her husband, who was a soldier, and her father, the former drill sergeant and "a blue-collar union guy." She did not talk about her sideline, which is giving PowerPoint presentations to people — probably, I am sure, not in convention centers built with tax dollars — on how to suck up government contracts. There was a similar thing going on with Bob McDonnell, the slippery, up-and-coming transvaginalist of Virginia, who proved that his family Did Build It, by having his father join the army, his children doing the same, and himself, finding the "same job" in government once held by Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. After listening to this laughable bafflegab for a spell, you begin to wonder whether or not the U.S. military is a rather large venture-capital concern with anti-tank weapons.
It was an entire evening based on a demonstrable lie. It was an entire evening based on demonstrable lies told in service to the overriding demonstrable lie. And there was only one real story for actual journalists to tell at the end of it.

The Republicans simply don't care.

They don't care that they lie. They don't care that their lies are obvious. They don't care that their lies wouldn't fool an underpaid substitute Social Studies teacher in a public middle school, who would then probably go out one night and get yelled at by Chris Christie. ("They believe in teacher's unions. We believe in teachers," he said in his speech. Yeah, you just don't believe in paying them.) They don't care that their history is a lie and that, by spreading it, they devalue the actual history of the country, which is something that belongs to us.

Did Ted Cruz really quote Martin King in this hall? Did Artur Davis, the newly minted Republican turncoat from Alabama, just cite Jack Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and Lyndon Fking Johnson as examples of "leaders" who "reached across the aisle"? Lyndon reached across the aisle? Yeah, he did, and he grabbed their peckers and put them in his pocket, and he didn't give them back until the skinflint bastards coughed up Medicare. Jesus, this was pathetic. They don't care that they lie so obviously that they always get caught, like they did with the evening's entire theme, like they have in and around the Tampa Bay Times Forum, or with the story of poor Jack Gilchrist. The Republicans will just tell the lie again. And again. And once more, until people get tired of telling the truth in response.

It was an entire evening based on a demonstrable lie because it was an entire evening based on rejecting — publicly and dishonestly, and without caring that the facts of your own biographies give the lie to the words you're saying — the idea of a general political commonwealth as expressed through the national government, which has been the great engine behind the expansion of the country's size, the country's wealth, and, yes, the country's freedom. It was a purchase in that political commonwealth, and not in a loose confederation of states, that King sought, and that Lyndon sought to give the country's poorest citizens, including the vote, which the government of John Kasich in Ohio is presently working assiduously to roll back.

It was an entire evening based on a demonstrable lie, and it was topped off by a demonstrable liar named Chris Christie, who talked about how the president can't lead, and that nobody wants to tell the Americans the truth of the sacrifices we have to share, and talked about "politicians who pander" at a convention that is preparing to nominate Willard Romney, which was the final hilarious lie of the night, since Romney hasn't stopped pandering since he walked down the steps of the Massachusetts State House in 2006.

Earlier, though, Christie rang the theme of the evening's overriding demonstrable lie, too. He talked about how his family Built It, his Irish father and his Sicilian mother.

They both lived hard lives. Dad grew up in poverty. After returning from Army service, he worked at the Breyer's ice-cream plant in the 1950's. With that job, and the GI Bill, he put himself through Rutgers University at night to become the first in his family to earn a college degree.

Chris, old man, you didn't even build yourself - yourself. The tax dollars — the federal tax dollars — of, among other people, my parents paid your father's Army salary, and they paid for the G.I. Bill. The tax dollars of thousands of other people paid for his education at Rutgers, which is, as it proclaims, The State University Of New Jersey. All of them were proud to do it, because they knew that they were part of a political commonwealth that has as its proudest expression a national government in which all citizens have purchase.
And, Chris, and Bob, and Sher, and Jack, and all of you, you're welcome.

Liars.

Read more: http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/rnc-tampa-night-one-12158408#ixzz24xalShNQ

Obama Wouldn't Believe his Eyes

President Barack Obama would not believe his eyes if he were to log-in to the moderately liberal web log that is TerryLyons.Blogspot.com - and see .... Oh My!  Ads for O-Mitt Romney and Scott Brown.

The ad system utilized spews the material according to the guys with the Ad Budgets and it seems like O-Mitt is outspending the Democratic incumbents.  We'll see in November.

Just don't click on their ads. I don't need the Ad Revenue that much.  

Oh, yes I do...

This is the United States Calling ...

Camelot in 2012

By LARRY CAMELOT

HELLO: United States Olympic Committee, may I help you?

Yes. Hi, I'm an intern from the office of the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney, may I speak with Mr. Sandusky, please? 

US: Patrick Sandusky?

MITT-TERN: Is there another?

US: Well, um, yes, but PATRICK Sandusky works here.  He's the head of communications for the USOC.

MITT-TERN: Yes. That's the guy.  May I speak with Mr. Sandusky, please?

US: Well, he's a pretty busy man.  The London Olympics are about to begin and Mr. Sandusky...

MITT-TERN: I know, I know, he's very busy, but I'm calling on behalf of Mitt Romney, the presumed republican candidate for the office of the President of the United States. Mr. Romney is a busy man, too, and he is trying to become the President of the United States. Indirectly, Mr. Romney could become Mr. Sandusky's boss.

US: Good point, but, I'm here in London and the people around here have a very different opinion.

MITT-TERN: Well, I know. That's why I'm calling.

US: Are you in London?

MITT-TERN: No. I'm just an intern. Mr. Romney's in London, though.

US: Oh yes, we know. He's made quite a name for himself with our colleagues over at the London 2012 Organizing Committee, and, with the British press, God Save the Queen.

MITT-TERN: Well, I know, that's why I'm calling.

US: You see, your candidate, your presumed candidate - and I do stress presumed - decided to undermine the efforts of the entire London Olympics on the day before the Games were about to begin with the Opening Ceremonies. In one fell swoop, he managed to un-do about four years of painstaking preparations, millions of hours of hard work and he thoroughly and unabashedly embarrassed the entire nation.  He was asked a simple question in a television interview -- over here, they call it, the telly - and he began an unnecessary rant about the lack of qualified security officers, then he started in on ticket sales issues, And, then ...

MITT-TERN: I know, I know, that's why I'm calling.

US: Hold on, now, your candidate is trying to beef-up his resume on the foreign relations side but he proceeded to second-guess one of our closest and longest standing allies? On the nightly news?

MITT-TERN: Yes, yes. he did. I know. I'm calling to get the emails and phone numbers of some of the media people over there in London.  We need to contact them with a new statement.

US: You mean, Romney wants you to call up or email the media to cover up his mistake?

MITT-TERN: Oh, no, we wouldn't want to use the word cover-up, that's too strong.  How about back track?  Or, better yet, we'll clarify what Mr. Romney actually meant to say. Cover-up reminds people of President Nixon, one of the great Republican Party Presidents, along with President George W. Bush, uhh.

US: You mean during his live, on-camera interview, they might've mis-quoted him?  We have the tapes, here, and most - make that all - of the London tabloids have already called seeking apologies from the State Department or at least the Olympic Committee.  It's late over here, you know?  It's well past deadline.  They still have deadlines here in London because they actually have newspapers that people read.  They sell dozens of them, all day and night.  Your man is on most of the covers of all of those broadsheets and tabloids tomorrow, you know?  And, since you brought up President "W" - he was quite the darling of the British media, you know. I think they're looking for a new foil, and your man stepped right into his tea and crumpets.

MITT-TERN: Oh no.

US: Oh yes. On the Olympics, he's quoted as saying, "It's hard to know just how well it will turn out.  There were a few things that were disconcerting." He said that on camera to NBC News, then, he went on to talk about the bane of all event organizers, the hated (psst) SECURITY ISSUES, then, he speculated about a proposed customs strike that never materialized.  The guy has no clue! Even when he went to apologize today, he said something to the head of the organizing committee that really pissed him off.  Let me get it for you, hold on."

Silence ...

US: Oh yeah, all the reports say he met with the Prime Minister, not the head of the organizing committee, that guy's too busy. Romney is quoted as saying, "Of course there will be errors from time-to-time" but they'll be over-shadowed by inspiring performances. So, even in his "back-track" he totally blew it.

MITT-TERN: I know, I know, but can I JUST speak with Mr. Sandusky?

US: Well, Patrick Sandusky is on another line, right now, can I put you through to his voice-mail?  He checks it often, and it works great, except when the mailbox is full, like this past Friday, Saturday, Sunday, when your Romney candidate caused this stir, this semi-international incident of the most ridiculous proportions, especially for someone who is already so weak at foreign relations.  

MITT-TERN: Now, wait, that's not fair.  Mr. Romney is a good man.  He's helped many nations by taking decent paying American jobs and while he worked with his old company, Bain, he bought-out companies, then directed them to out-source those jobs to places like India.  Millions of Americans lost their jobs, but they need those jobs in India, you know, it's one of the burgeoning world powers, just the way China was a few years back. Mr. Romney catches quite a bit of flack for that portion of his life, when he started Bain, made hundreds of millions of dollars that he's been living off from off-shore accounts he's invested in heavily for the past decade or so, while he avoids paying high income taxes and tools around in politics.

US: Really? I thought he had some type of Olympic Games experience?

MITT-TERN: Well, he did, but that's another story. You know, he was the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts when they began a universal healthcare initiative on his watch.  He was quite proud of it until all his Republican colleagues started to criticize President Obama for trying to do the same thing, you know?  And, while we're on that topic, I saw where the Opening Ceremonies paid quite a tribute to Great Britain's (National Health System) NHS, they had a lot of nurses out there, along with Peter Pan, Mary Poppins and even Paul McCartney!

US: Well, that's not here nor there, because those Republican friends of your man, Romney, keep voting down the healthcare bill, then when it passed, they keep trying to repeal it, even though the Supreme Court made a ruling that's it's certainly constitutional. Then they tried some word-smithing, the way you are trying now, with this “Mitt-Flip,” and some guy named Boehner who always cries when he gets emotional said it was a TAX!”  Can you believe that? You think those guys don’t think the American public can tell when they are lying right through their teeth, trying to manipulate the truth, then pointing fingers all over the place. Even when the Supreme Court rules, they try to reverse it, always trying to make things stand still, always stagnant, stuck in the same old place without trying to fix things their predecessors screwed up from 2001 until 2008.

MITT-TERN: Well, now. If that's what you say? You didn't have to bring the United States Supreme Court into the issue, now did you?

US: So, well, Mr. Sandusky's line is free now, let me see if I can connect you.

MITT-TERN: Thanks.

Silence...

US: Oh, sorry, he's stepped away from his desk and he said something about Mitt Romney making him sick.  Can I connect you to his voice mail?