Congressman McDermott (D-WA) and Debt Ceiling

I heard Congressman McDermott (D-Wa) speaking on the news today about how irresponsible it is for anyone to vote against raising the debt ceiling. This clip from June mirrors much of what he had to say today, only today he spoke with much more urgency and conviction.



I knew there were debt ceiling votes back when Bush was president, so I thought I would check to see if McDermott voted "Aye" on them. The first one I checked was H.J. Res. 47/95 in 2006 increasing the statutory limit on the public debt. McDermott voted "Nay". I guess it wasn't a matter of being irresponsible back then.

Obama was the same way. I looked up his votes for debt ceiling increases during the time he was Senator. There were three opportunities for him to vote on those increases: he voted "Nay" once and "Abstained" twice. This is the same guy who voted "present" over 130 times while an Illinois state senator. I think this is what drives so many of us crazy, and unfortunately it goes both ways. Hopefully this new batch of congressmen voted into office in 2010 are different. A man can only hope.

Where Are The Democrats?

Over the past several months the Republicans have drafted and voted on several budget related bills. There was the overall budget proposal (something a Democratic House failed to do and a Democratic Senate still has not done), the Ryan plan, and cut, cap and balance. Over the past couple days they have been trying to pass one more debt ceiling related bill, so far falling short because it doesn't go far enough to solve any problems. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with any of these bills, the Republican House has taken the lead, something neither the Democratic Senate or Obama has yet to do. So in this whole process, where are the Democrats?

On the House side, Democrats have been complaining about these Republican bills, but I have not heard from any of them offering their own proposals. Granted they are in the minority and have a limited voice on the House floor, but they still retain a sizable voice in media. Yet all we seem to hear are complaints, no ideas or solutions. On the Senate side we keep hearing about the Reid plan, but where and what is it, and how come it has not been put in writing and put up for a vote? Why is the Senate holding back, letting the House do all the heavy lifting? Why is the House letting the Senate sit back? At least on the Senate side there was talk about a (Republican Senator minority leader) McConnell plan. Again, on the House side, have you heard of a (Democratic House minority leader) Pelosi plan?

It seems to me that the House should make one more proposal, basically resubmitting the cut, cap and balance bill. This time I would take it in a more demanding direction. Ask for more cuts and ask that they take place sooner rather than later. And then ask the Senate to respond with their own proposal, in writing and voted on. Let the Senate actually vote for something rather than letting any more House proposals die before a vote. Put pressure on the Senate to actually do something, to put their own necks on the block.

As for the Boehner bill that is currently having problems getting the last 2-3 needed votes to pass, why not make it more attractive for those who are holding out? Reid and Obama have already said that they are not even going to consider it or bring it up for a vote, so why not draft it in a way that pulls in more Republican support? Get it passed, and then walk away. It is time for the Senate to shut up and start playing.

I'm not convinced that a balanced budget amendment is the answer. On paper it makes perfect sense, but so does a diet. Congress is tasked with passing a budget each year, yet the Democratic Senate has not done so for over two years. Congress has demonstrated over and over again that they believe they can operate above the law. Do you really believe any Congress or any president, regardless of their party, will let themselves be confined by a balanced budget requirement? To me it is just like the arguments from politicians that they are going to find savings by eliminating fraud and wasteful spending. You mean you have not already been doing that? You mean you have to pass a bill to do that, or create a new department to oversee it all? If you have not already been attacking fraud and wasteful spending, I seriously doubt that you are going to do it at some point in the future. Same goes with the budget. If they have not been mindful of spending only what is available, I doubt that they will have the willpower to be thrifty in the future. It is called loopholes, and they are pros at creating them.

Time For Obama To Move On

All this debt ceiling talk over the past couple weeks has reminded me why I dislike Barack Obama, prompting me to post a few extra thoughts here on the guy who hopefully will soon be unemployed. I have thought for quite awhile now that the general American public will grow tired and disillusioned with Obama soon enough, if they have not already. His need to be front and center making speeches 5 times a day all over the world has led to overexposure. People got tired hearing about Brittany Spears every day several years ago . . how often do you hear about her now? People got tired hearing about Casey Anthony day in and day out . .  where is she now? I suspect that the American public is growing tired of Obama. I cannot imagine another four years of seeing or listening to him 5 times a day. Hopefully two years from now I will be able to ask "whatever happened to that guy that was president"?

Today I recommend reading a good article that addresses the idea of Obama the bore:

"Somewhere along the way, the once-soaring speeches of The Great Orator degenerated into longwinded clichés delivered in a grating, repetitive cadence.   The electric smile morphed into a frequent scowl.  Inspiring messages have given way to blaming everyone else for the lack of success of his policies and scolding his subjects for not "stepping up their game."  His every word seems politically calculated rather than anchored by principle.  He's shown little ability to electrify, motivate, persuade or unify anyone-except his political opposition.  The country seems tired of him.

How un-motivating is Obama as President?  He speaks to an America at war and rouses no patriotism.  He addresses a military audience without so much as mentioning victory (a word to which he has a particular aversion).  He takes a major policy address on troop levels in Afghanistan and ends up droning on about "green jobs."  Boring.  If there is a single memorable line from his multitude of speeches, please tell me; I already stopped listening --and I doubt that I am alone."

Reagan vs. Obama

A good article contrasting the Reagan economy with the Obama economy:  check it out.

Clement & Whitney July 2 Richmond Wedding

It was a warm day, but actually pretty nice for early July. Clement and Whitney have lots of great friends, and they all showed up for the big wedding. Great band, great setting. A good time was had by all. Here are a few quick picks. Click on photo to enlarge.

Sonoma Valley, California

I've been a bit behind in updating this blog, so I have missed posting a couple weddings. I was in Sonoma Valley a couple weeks ago doing a photo shoot with a corporate client sales incentive trip. We stayed at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa. Besides the pool (the weather was perfect all week), one of my favorite features at the resort was their fire pit every evening (see photo below). Smelled like camping in luxury. The whole trip was built largely around wineries of course. While I am not into wine, most wineries are pretty cool to behold. The indoor "cave" shots below are from Benziger Winery, where we had 85 people for dinner. For photo enthusiasts, these indoor images were all hand held and shot at 6400 iso. The "living room" image was taken at the Fairmont. The only disappointment from the week in Sonoma was a cancelled hot air balloon ride over Napa. The one morning we were scheduled to go up, there was just enough wind that they decided it would be too dangerous to attempt. I was really looking forward to the experience and to the photos. Click on images to enlarge.

My Take On Donald Trump

Let's face it, fill up a room with celebrities . . artists, actors, musicians, hollywood moguls, journalists . . and you basically have the Democratic National Convention. Celebrities liked Clinton. They love Obama, and that love seems to be unconditional. Obama could threaten to take away more of their money (oh wait, he has already said that is what he wants to do), he could pull the U.S. into a third war in a Muslim country (oh wait, he has), he could keep Guantanamo Bay open (oh wait, he has), he could basically do nothing in terms of improving the economy (oh wait, you get the idea); it doesn't matter, celebrities vocally express their unconditional love for the man. And they love to bash conservatives, through their movies, their music, and their words. For conservatives, it gets old . . and predictable. It is probably why alternative media outlets (blogs, radio programs, even Fox News) have become so popular. Conservatives grow tired of celebrities with an agenda, particularly when that agenda is liberal.

So here comes Donald Trump. The Donald has been around for quite awhile. It's not like he is new. In his early years, Trump made the news with his wealth, his buildings, and his marriages. These days Trump is pretty much seen by the public more as a celebrity than as a businessman. He rubs shoulders with other celebrities through his television show and his work. And Trump is not afraid to bash people. So when Trump comes out lambasting Obama, asking questions publicly that many conservatives have wondered privately, conservatives love it. How often do you hear a celebrity bash Obama? That, in my opinion, is Trump's appeal. Finally, a celebrity with fairly considerable respect, is taking it to Obama and liberals.

Trump might not be a conservative. In fact he spent a lot of time bashing George Bush while Bush was president. And Trump has changed his views on many issues. He is unpredictable. You never really know what will come out of his mouth. While that can be refreshing coming from a politician, for now Trump is not a politician, so if he ever got elected into any office, that trait would most likely be restrained. And there are other restraints as well. Right now, Trump can use his wealth to his advantage. As a president he cannot just go out and buy people out with his own money. It would be our money at his disposal. Would he spend it lavishly as he does now with his own money, or would he be frugal? Right now, Trump can make decisions without consulting a board of directors. How would he "manage" Congress? I wonder if this is a question that only a seasoned politician can really answer.

I like the idea of a president Trump type of a person. After the past two years, it would be refreshing to have someone in that office who believes in the free market and is truly a capitalist. It would be refreshing to have someone who has actually led something prior to becoming president. I have to wonder though if someone completely outside the political structure can effectively function within that structure, especially since they come into it with no political experience. Do we really want a presidential Apprentice? Isn't that what we got with Obama? Someone like Trump should probably run for governor first. Test the political waters to see if they can function in that world. It is completely different than the corporate world. Sure, leadership is leadership; but just because you are captain of your football team doesn't necessarily mean you can lead a 100,000 employee company.

Why Does Anyone Believe Anything Obama Says?

Our president has demonstrated over and over again that he is more than willing to say one thing but then do the exact opposite. Many, if not most, of the promises he made on the campaign trail have not been followed. In fact he has purposely and quite eagerly gone against his own words. Now, you might be thinking that is true with most politicians; and I would agree. But wasn't Obama supposed to be different? Wasn't his whole appeal of "hope and change" built on the "hope" that he was a different kind of politician; that in fact he transcended politics, and that would be a "change"?

Hopefully you have heard the sound bites from a few years ago when then Senator Obama spoke of raising the debt ceiling as being a failure of leadership (namely George Bush). Now, as president, Obama believes anyone who votes against raising the debt ceiling is just evil.

Today, another example of how dishonest Obama really is came to light. You have to read this (click below) and see the video clip from his campaign. When you are done, please ask yourself: why would I ever believe anything Obama says?

Click here to for more.

Oscar & Michelle April 2 Wedding

This Is A Pretty Good Prank