Tax Payers help Steeler’s Owners avoid Capital Gains Tax

First thing this morning I caught a story on the local Pittsburgh news. Seems the Rooney family, owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers, are rushing to get a deal through on the sale of the Pittsburgh Steelers. A quick search generated this story

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hp1K4jq_4SVukDahKgDvPqOmvqJQD94F5L9G2

And here is the money quote from the article-

Art Rooney Jr. said the brothers hope to get the deal wrapped up before a board meeting in December.Both sides want to get a deal done by then because they are worried about possible higher taxes once the Obama administration is in office.

It seems that Dan Rooney is looking to PNC Bank for an estimated $280 million in loans to buy out his brothers.  And oh lookie lookie- http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.pnc25oct25,0,5153143.story

NEW YORK – PNC Financial Services Group Inc., which acquired Baltimore’s Mercantile Bankshares last year, said yesterday that it is acquiring Cleveland-based National City Corp. for $5.58 billion, becoming the first bank to use fresh investments from a federal bailout program to make an acquisition.

The deal came within hours of PNC Financial receiving approval for $7.7 billion in cash from the government under the $700 billion government program aimed at relieving the continuing credit crisis.

NICE! WOOT! Our tax dollars enable PNC to buy up National City and BONUS! help the Rooneys (who by the way supported Obama) avoid an anticipated increase in the capital gains tax.  Damn it must be nice to be rich!

I’ll leave you with this nice little quote from Art Rooney Jr, credit KDKA in Pittsburgh http://kdka.com/steelers/Steelers.Ownership.Rooney.2.861418.html

Like the fans who pack Heinz Field, Art Rooney, Jr., says he bleeds black and gold and he’s embarrassed to even talk about the multimillion dollar ownership dealings in this economy.

“Here we are the Rooney boys, have a loaf of bread under each arm, and guys don’t know if they are going to stay in their house, you know the fans they don’t know if they are going to be able to stay in their house, send their kids to college next year or make ends meet,” he said.

Apparently not too embarrassed to take bail-out money through the back door.
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For all Proud Military Moms

This song is for all of us Moms with kids on active duty and all the proud military moms who have gone before us. The song is called “Letters From War.” May all our troops come home safe. God Bless.

Sarah Fights Back against the Blogger’s in their Parent’s Basements!

I was listening and chatting on BTR last night and had Fox News on in the living room. At one point I ran out to the kitchen and on the way back caught a snippet of Greta Van Susteren’s interview with Governor Palin. The little bit I caught was enough to make me go hunting the video this morning! Greta and the Governor were discussing the whole brouhaha over her clothing and the nasty rumours regarding her debate prep. At the very end Greta asks if there is anything else that the Governor found disturbing. The Governor makes reference to “bloggers in their pajamas in their parent’s basements.” I like this woman more and more! The specific bit is near the end of the clip at around the 8:40 mark.

 

Watch the full interview in four parts at Fox News! Well worth it!

What was in those envelopes?????

I worked as an election official yesterday at a small precint in our county (901 registered voters.) I was amazed and disgusted by the number of voters who required assistance to complete their ballots. There were numerous folks who claimed to be unable to read and many mentally challenged individuals. There was one common thread- every one of these folks came in with an envelope on the back of which was written “President- Barack Obama.” Many of them tried to tell election officials that had to vote for “this one” while pointing at their envelopes. What a nightmare!

 

When a voter asks for assistance, there is a form that must be filled out. An election worker of the opposing party must witness the process and all involved, the election judge, the poll worker and the voter, must sign the paperwork. Some of these people could not even write their names! More paperwork!

 

Anybody want to make a conjecture on what was IN those envelopes?????

 

Made no difference in my county anyway- Obama lost by a considerable margin. Not enough to save our country- but enough to let me know some of us are still sane!

Multi-Tasking

Let me start with a true story about multi-tasking. There was a Mom who was busily doing what Moms do all day, every day. She had a load of laundry in the washer, one in the dryer and one being folded. Dinner was in the oven, the baby was napping, the toddler was playing in the den and Mom was supervising the older children’s homework and entertaining her out of town guests.

Suddenly, a heart stopping screech rends the air! Mom stops folding laundry and rushes to the toddler and finds the child bleeding profusely! She instantly assesses the situation- the child clearly needs stitches! All other projects and tasks immediately cease. There is an emergency and though Mom has never heard the term “multi-tasking” she clearly knows that this is a time for clear, dedicated focus on the crisis at hand and that all the other tasks she is engaged in will have to go on the back burner until the emergency is over.

Yesterday, one candidate for President suspended all other non-essential tasks to focus on the crisis at hand. One candidate recognized that the economic crisis facing our country eclipses the race for President. One candidate put country first- as he has done time and time again in his long life- correctly placing the good of our country ahead of personal and political gain. John McCain suspended his campaign in order to DO HIS JOB! Sen. McCain recognized that all the speeches, stumping, ads, debates and polls are not as important as resolving the economic crisis. The other candidate???

The other candidate says “Call me if you need me.” And “Presidents should be able to multi-task.” HMMPH! To be fair, I will say that Sen. Obama has stayed true to form. He declined Sen. McCain’s invitation to join him in suspending campaigning and go to Washington and get to work. This way, Sen. Obama can continue his now well known pattern of not voting or voting “present” on tough issues. Can’t be held accountable if you don’t vote! Down the road when the crisis has been resolved, he can declare he “gave a speech.” He can claim to have been for it- or against it- depending on which way the political winds are blowing. But nobody will be able to hold him accountable, because he was on the campaign trail while all that yucky taking a position and voting was going on. (UPDATE- Seems that Sen. Obama will be going to Washington- at the behest of President Bush. Even though Harry Reid thinks The Precious should keep on the campaign trail. I wonder if Sen. Obama is feeling like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.)

Sen. McCain has shown he truly understands leadership. Yes, Presidents should be able to “multi-task.” The holder of the most powerful office on the planet necessarily has many, many items on the agenda- all day, every day. 24/7. 365. However, there are times of national crisis when ONE issue, one item on the agenda must take precedence over all others. A good leader knows, as my Mom knew all those years ago, when to put all non-essential tasks on hold and FOCUS! Leaders have subordinates and team members who can mind the store and manage the agenda while the boss handles the crisis.

That is the boss’s job- prioritize the issues and know when to multi-task and when to FOCUS! Bravo Sen. McCain! A living example of “country first!”

A telling tale

 

My niece sent me the link to this video. It is a most telling tale- of what can happen when the press does not do its job! If the media will not – we must!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYEiwR2KklM

My Answers

In Hillary’s beautiful speech she asked a series of questions – questions calculated to make us think. I have been pondering the decision I will have to make in November for some time now. I am one of the voters who lives in a critical swing state, PA and so I can not in good conscience just stay home. I have voted for the Democratic nominee in every election since I attained that privilege and I will not stay home this year (too bad Donna Brazile!) So let’s review Hillary’s questions first.

I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?

The short answer is I was/AM in this for my country and my fellow citizens. I am in it for Democracy- with a capital D. For all of us who are invisible to our elected officials. And as much as it pains me to say so, I/we, are as invisible to the Democrats as we are to the Republicans.

Where were the Democratic Party officials when the outrageous frauds were perpetrated in the caucus states? Where were they when the media was using blatantly misogynistic language first against Sen. Clinton and then against her supporters?  Where were the party bosses when Florida and Michigan were punished for moving their primaries?

The Democratic Party officials were hip deep in it that’s where. Colluding with corruption and condoning the exact same tactics of stealing and/or not counting votes that so outraged us in 2000 and 2004 when the Republicans stole those elections.

So now I am to forget all that I have learned about Sen. Obama and his heinous connections with Farrakhan, Rezko, Ayers, Wright, Alsammare, Auchi and Pfleger? I am to jump on the Unity express and jetison my convictions for the sake of “The Party?” You wish me to cast my vote for a man who was given an unfair advantage? You wish me to forget that delegates were taken from my candidate and given to man whose name was not even on the ballot???

I, unlike the officials of my party, will stay true to my beliefs- beliefs which I thought my party shared. Here’s a refresher for any who have forgotten what the Democrats are SUPPOSED to stand for-

CHARTER OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES

PREAMBLE

We, the Democrats of the United States of America, united in common purpose, hereby rededicate

ourselves to the principles which have historically sustained our Party. Recognizing that the vitality of the

Nation’s political institutions has been the foundation of its enduring strength, we acknowledge that a

political party which wishes to lead must listen to those it would lead, a party which asks for the people’s

trust must prove that it trusts the people and a party which hopes to call forth the best the Nation can

achieve must embody the best of the Nation’s heritage and traditions.

What we seek for our Nation, we hope for all people: individual freedom in the framework of a just

society, political freedom in the framework of meaningful participation by all citizens. Bound by the United

States Constitution, aware that a party must be responsive to be worthy of responsibility, we pledge

ourselves to open, honest endeavor and to the conduct of public affairs in a manner worthy of a society of

free people.

Under God, and for these ends and upon these principles, we do establish and adopt this Charter of the

Democratic Party of the United States of America.

So check out the parts I have bolded- the ideals the Party is supposed to represent. A party which wishes to lead must listen! Did the party listen to the people? Absolutely not- 18 million voters were cast aside and told to stay home by Ms. Donna Brazile. We had to fight tooth and nail to have our candidate’s name placed in nomination- something which should, by the rules and the charter, never even have been an issue. (As it has never been an issue for any candidate in any past convention.) And when we did finally get the roll call, the delegates did not cast the votes that represented the wishes of the voters who sent them to the convention to represent us.

The Party certainly has not conducted its affairs in an open and honest manner- witness the back room dealings and secret votes, against the rules by the way, of the RBC on May 31st. Nay, my party is no longer the party of the people, it is a party just like the Republican party- one in which personal power is the goal and where the ends justify the means.

So my answer is this- Yes, I am in it for the young soldier, the mom with cancer, the family struggling to survive on minimum wage. I am in it for all of us who are invisible to the political power brokers of BOTH parties in this country. SHAME! SHAME I say!

I will stick to what I know is right and fight for it! I will fight to make sure every vote is counted the way it is cast. To end the disenfranchisement of voters in caucuses that leave out the elderly, the deployed, the disabled, young parents and shift workers.

I am in it for DEMOCRACY! For an America where every vote counts! And every vote is counted the way it is cast!  I can not, will not, condone what has been done in 2008. I can not, will not forget the travesty that has been allowed. Politicians may throw their ideals and convictions out the window in the name of the Party- I can not, WILL NOT!

A Real Live Heroine! Updated at bottom

Perusing the various news gathering sites today I came across the following in the Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_10170139 

Explain, Dems tell Clinton delegate

E-mail challenges Clinton backer; she wonders where free speech went

By Allison Sherry

I am impressed! According to the article Sasha Millstone, a Hillary delegate from Boulder Co received the following e-mail from  Billy Compton, state political director of the Colorado Democratic Party,

“You are hereby directed to come in to the party Headquarters and explain your comments and why you should remain a national delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in light of these comments,” the letter said.

Apparently another delegate was offended by alleged remarks made by MS. Millstone regarding Obama. Sasha is one smart woman- she got a lawyer involved! She knows when her rights are being infringed upon!. The author quotes Ms. Millstone

‘Isn’t there a right to free speech? Isn’t this right in line with our time-honored tradition with the Dems?” she said. “These intimidation tactics have a chilling effect on people feeling comfortable speaking up.”  

Good for her! And Kudos to the attorney for asking to see the rules that would allow the party to threaten her removal! This article is a must read! Two more delegates from Colorado are quoted in the article and both are- shall we say – less than thrilled with the intimidation tactics.

The author tells us “the matter has been dropped.” Sasha Millstone I salute you for refusing to give in and for standing up for Democracy! Stay Strong! you are a true American Heroine!

 

After posting this I popped over to The Confluence and saw this article by Katiebird http://riverdaughter.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/delegate-intimidation-at-the-democratic-convention/

Katiebird directs us to yet another place where this is covered- http://www.thedenverchannel.com/call7investigators/17163668/detail.html

There is a bit more detail in the TV piece and some additional quotations from Ms Millstone. Katiebird also reminds us of Debra Bartoshevich a Wisconsin Hillary Delegate who lost her credentials. Thanks katiebird for the heads up to the Denver Channel piece. Nice to see that some journalists still try and get the truth out!

We Have Been Bamboozled (Again) (Updated)

Updated- let me state for the record that I understand that candidates do publish policy books to get the platform out to the public and showcase their policies, both President Clinton and President Bush did so.  My outrage is due to the fact that IMHO the public was misled when the DNC and the Obama campaign invited the voters to meetings to give their input into the platform. The platform itself of course is not book length and the book will cover other aspects of the campaign.

From the DNC’s website

“More than 1,600 listening sessions took place in communities in all 50 states. Nearly 30,000 Americans from all walks of life participated. And these voices are now included in our Party’s Platform. We’d like to thank our hardworking staff, and the members of the Platform Drafting Committee and the full Platform Committee for their efforts to make our Party’s platform a document that’s truly reflective of the Democratic Party’s values and priorities for the American people.  http://www.democrats.org/a/2008/08/democratic_part_13.php

In particular I find it very hard to believe that “these voices are now included in our Party’s platform” when the book and the policy it contains are scheduled for publication in early September. Just Sayin.

 

BAMBOOZLED! I said in yesterday’s post that the platform committee meeting was a rubber stamping ceremony and I am proven correct today. In my morning perusal of the news on the net I came across an article at Fox news entitled “New Obama Book About Campaign Platform to be Released Next Month.” http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/11/new-obama-book-about-campaign-platform-to-be-released-next-month/ 

I tracked over to Politico for an article by Mike Allen http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12432.html entitled “New Obama Book Coming this Fall.”  Now this is rich folks, just rich. Title of the selectee’s book?? 

“Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama’s Plan to Renew America’s Promise”

  Title of the draft platform document rubber stamped on Saturday with no dissent allowed?

Renewing America’s Promise

 Allen tells us “The secret project……was launched just a month ago, and got to the printer with no leaks.”

 

Ok, so if the project was launched a month ago how long has it actually been in the works? And what the hell was the point of asking for input from the public on the platform if the damn book had already been written? I wonder how all those folks who took precious time out of their lives to go and give input into the paltform will feel when they find out that the platform was written and sent to the publisher before the meetings ever took place? Bamboozled I say! Hoodwinked! The damn thing was already written and gone to the publishers and the whole input from the voters thing was just a feel good exercise to try and convince the unsuspecting dupes that the Obama camapaign actually listens to the people.

Allen says Obama wrote the foreword and campaign staffers wrote the policy sections. Now I see why our amendment was declared “out of order.” What a nuisance if the publisher had to reset all that type to include the voice of the people. In this brave new world only one voice is allowed, only one message is to be heard. No dissent will be recognized, nothing must interfere with the best selling author turned presidential pretender’s next big hit.

Vanity- thy name is Obama.

Amendement 93

 

 

AN AMENDMENT

The undersigned offer the following Amendment to the Platform of the Democratic Party.
VOTING RIGHTS
PAGE 50: 29

The Democratic Party will practice its commitment to voting rights within our own

nomination processes.

Caucuses undermine these core Democratic values. Caucuses inherently disenfranchise
the elderly, disabled, shift workers, single parents and others whose circumstance
prohibits participation in caucuses. Further the 2008 primaries illustrated that a caucus
vote is worth more than a primary vote because each delegate elected by caucus
represents fewer voters than each delegate elected by primary. Caucuses allow party
officials, spouses, employers or other aggressive participants to exert undue influence and
coercion over voters. Caucuses are also immune from federal oversight, while primaries
are subject to federal election law.

Therefore, the Democratic Party will forbid caucuses in all future nominating processes
and will require all states to conduct primaries to select their delegates to future national
conventions.

The above is the actual text of Amendment 93 which was ruled “Out of Order” at yesterday’s Democratic Platform Committee Meeting.  I personally can see nothing out of order in the damn thing! For crying out loud, the committee entertained many amendments and most passed with NO DEBATE! Our amendment asking for free and fair elections with the elimination of caucuses got no hearing- no debate. Just ruled out of order by the chair with a promise that the “ROOLZ” committee will be looking at the issue of caucuses.

In the draft Section IV “Renewing American Democracy” there is a sub-section on voting rights. There is language stating the party “will work to fully protect and enforce the fundamental Constitutional right of every American to vote….” It seem to me that that language opened the door for Amendment 93. The amendment simply adds language stating that caucuses are a barrier that prevent American citizens from exercising their right to vote.

 

Wikipedia defines a Platform as

A party platform, also known as a manifesto, is a list of the principles which a political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said party’s candidates voted into office. This often takes the form of a list of support for, or opposition to, controversial topics. Individual topics are often called planks of the platform.

 

A list of the principles, a list of support for or opposition to- controversial topics. This primary season, (which by the way does not conclude until the party conventions formally nominate a candidate,) has been chock full of controversial topics, and caucuses generated a huge amount of controversy! What the hell is wrong with the DNC and the Obama campaign? Do they really think they can hide the great divide in the party by stifling debate?

Using Robert’s Rules of Order to stifle debate is uncalled for and just one more sign of the desperation of Dean and his hacks. A platform is supposed to showcase the principles to which our party is committed. The whole proceeding yesterday was a rubber stamping of the deals, not the IDEALS. The Voting Rights section is vague and ambiguous; much like Dean’s selectee. I am saddened, but not surprised. They stomped on Democracy once again.