PJ

• “Activist judges legislating from the bench”
• “Up or Down vote”

Seriously, do these things even mean anything?  One thing I can hand to the GOP that they do much better then the Democratic party is being able to assign a negative connotation to almost any term in a short amount of time.  See: “liberal”.  Once they establish this connotation they can completely avoid conversation on a topic by spouting one of these terms that may or may not even have anything to do with the conversation.  Try it sometime.

The more I read and see about the proposed port deal, the more I was rethinking my position.  I believe 75% of our ports are already operated by foreign entities.  I still have my security concerns, especially with the “L Visa” program (I believe that is the proper letter).  It is my understanding, and I haven’t researched this totally, that companies who are in the position that DP World would have been in have what are called “L Visas” available to them.  These Visa’s are not as scrutinized as regular Visa’s and they allow the operating company to send workers to the US to assist in the management and operation under that Visa.  For example, if DP World said it needed to have a person in New York they would be able to get that person in and bypass most of the normal security proceedures.

That being said, I think this deal would have gone through if the Bush Administration did not make one fatal mistake.  They told Congress and the American people what amounted to “You don’t worry about security, you leave that up to us.”  After the events of the last 5 years I think that was a slap in the face to Congress and is what has caused this major backlash.  Everything done in the last 5 years has been done in the name of the War on Terror and National Security and for the White House to tell America “Don’t worry, we know best,” I think that was the last straw. 

I think the American people are tired of the perception that this administration is completely sheltered and out of touch with reality.  We can only be at war for so long with so many people.  I think that the White House has positioned itself over the last 6 years as an untouchable Ivory Tower that American’s just can’t relate to anymore.  George Bush was elected because the masses seemed to be able to relate to him and I think that feeling has began to erode.  More and more the edicts of this Administration sound like the speakings of the mythical Big Brother and I think America is tired of “trust me, I know what’s best.”

Some people are like Slinkys…

Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.  

 

In a previous posting I mentioned that this Rub came in my BBQ of the Month Club shipment.  If you like hot rubs, this is the one for you.  Made with Scotch Bonnet Peppers, just half a teaspoon on 3 pork chops (put it on light for the pregnant one) and you could most definately feel the heat.  Very flavorful and a very nice heat to it, but not a stupid overpowering pepper flavor, just a really nice, hot heat.