With an unprecedented number of public speeches in the first 90 days and an appearance on the Tonight Show, Obama seems to be losing ratings faster than people are losing pounds on The World’s Biggest Loser. 

His most recent speech on March 24^th was down 14% from his previous two speeches. So who is winning ratings while Obama’s numbers drop off?

Well, apparently Dancing With the Stars picked up 39% (I am sure the preempting of American Idol has something to do with that as well);  The Biggest Loser hit an eight-week high and people even watched The Mentalist – whatever the heck that is! 

The upside is that the networks are happy. Their economy was getting hit when Obama was showing up for an ad-free hour! Going forward some changes will need to be made. Obama will need to deliver information about the economy and crooked executives in some brave new programming. Maybe… 

The Biggest AIG Loser – AIG Execs giving back taxpayers up to 150% of their money. 

Dancing with Wolverines – Anyone who voted for deregulation in a no-hold-barred cage dance with, yep, wolverines. 

Survivor Antarctica – Any politician that is currently being investigated for wrongdoing put in Antarctica with only a sleeping bag and some sunscreen. 

Obama can host each of the shows…he seems to like television.

***Be a Part of the Conversation and ADD A COMMENT***

I have written countless articles on The Slow Bleed that talk about various individual components of this immense screw up. Most of them target a horrific combination of greed and stupidity.

Recently someone sent me an article that appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine. I have to say, it is probably one of the best soup to nuts explanations of not only what went wrong, but also what is still going wrong. The article is a bit long, but certainly worth reading; and probably more than once. When your done, let me know what you think.

The Big Takeover by Matt Taibbi.

 

It’s over — we’re officially, royally fucked. no empire can survive being rendered a permanent laughingstock, which is what happened as of a few weeks ago, when the buffoons who have been running things in this country finally went one step too far. It happened when Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was forced to admit that he was once again going to have to stuff billions of taxpayer dollars into a dying insurance giant called AIG, itself a profound symbol of our national decline — a corporation that got rich insuring the concrete and steel of American industry in the country’s heyday, only to destroy itself chasing phantom fortunes at the Wall Street card tables, like a dissolute nobleman gambling away the family estate in the waning days of the British Empire.

 

Read the Rest Here

***Be a Part of the Conversation and ADD A COMMENT***

Check out the video of Congressman Paul Kanjorski. If you want, skip to the 2:12 mark into the video for a interesting look into the situation. Follow this link…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=INAGMSARPYw

***Be a Part of the Conversation and ADD A COMMENT***

It just appeared overnight. When Obama promised less secrets and more transparency we had no idea how literal the man was. 

It became somewhat of a joke; that the V.P.’s home never showed up on Google Earth while Dick Cheney was in office. Some say it was a “security issue” while others believed Cheney could not be seen on film or in mirrors. Whatever the case, the veil has been lifted. 

Although Google stated the “de-pixilation was updated as new imagery became available” it is just funny that it just happened to be when Cheney moved out and Biden moved in. 

The home (built in 1893) has been the residence of V.P.’s since 1977 and yes, the big picture on the home page is the White House (not the VP’s house). 

***Be a Part of the Conversation and ADD A COMMENT***

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions – who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them – that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account – to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control – and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort – even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends – hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism – these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence – the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed – why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

***Be a Part of the Conversation and ADD A COMMENT***

Congressional Representatives make $174,000 a year (about $87 per hour) and the increase is an automatic cost-of-living raise. In their defense this was created several years ago and the percentage increase is below normal.

But is this the right time? 

Hey, I am not in politics (for good reason) but if it was me I might think this would be a good time to forgo the raise and show some sort of “we are all in this together” mentality. But, like I said, I am not in politics and thus far, Congress has been surprisingly silent on the subject. 

I think the whole thing really further my opioin that politicians, in general, are no longer in touch with the people they represent. How are they not in touch with the average American? 

Income –  For the most part you have to be a millionaire to even run for a Washington office. Once there they get salaries way above the norm. They are not looking for coupons or sales. 

Health Care – Their health care is covered. Millions of Americans with no health care or inadequate care would love to know what that is like. 

Retirement – Politicians have Pension plans (that actually get paid). Up to 80% of their final salary. Most Americans don’t have a clue where the money will come from when they retire. 

***Be a Part of the Conversation and ADD A COMMENT***

The secret is finally out. Where did all the money come from? Bill Clinton has disclosed the 208,000 donors to the Clinton foundation and presidential library. This was largely a requirement for Hillary to take the Secretary of State position and show no “outside influences.” 

In total Clinton’s foundation raised at least $41 million from foreign governments (good to know when you are about to be Secretary of State).

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia alone looks to be close to $20 million. That includes the Saudi royal family, the governments of Kuwait, Qatar, and Dubai. Additionally, there are three Saudi businessmen that donated over $1 million. Here are some of the heavy hitters… 

Over 10 million dollars… 

AUSAID

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Stephen L. Bing

COPRESIDA-Secretariado Tecnico

Fred Eychaner

Over 25 million dollars… 

The Childrens Investment Fund Foundation

UNITAIDClinton’s Donor List Revealed…

***Be a Part of the Conversation and ADD A COMMENT***

I have tried to expose misinformation on both sides of the aisle. I give up fact checking debates, television advertisements, and mailings – I can’t keep up with the inaccuracies and blatant lies. I have seen intelligent people manipulated to no end – just because they see something in print. I have seen bloggers, who preach practicing an open mind, delete any comments they don’t want to read regarding an opposing view or candidate. 

The only thing I wonder now is “how did we get here?” Have elected officials moved so far off the reservation the simple truth is no longer needed or can they just not tell the difference? Is it just about printing blatant lies on the front page and apologizing on page 24 later where no one will see it? 

There are not enough people out there seeking the truth anymore and I believe this election is the political version of Jumping the Shark (which is fittingly enough a term reserved for when sitcoms start their downhill slide). 

Gone are enough free thinkers who expose half-truths and gone are candidates that seem to know the difference between right and wrong. 

In a lot of ways this election brought out the worst in our election process (negativity, racism, money spent, division, manipulation, etc). Don’t get me wrong; there are a lot of people impassioned by this election – perhaps one day they will help put things back on track. But that will only work if in addition to wanting to vote they also want to know the truth and never accept what is said at face value. 

With that said, I am done covering anything related to the election on my site (except for a comment on the outcome). It has been fun, aggravating, challenging, and maddening. 

My last thought on the subject: Listen to the candidates, seek the truth, and vote with your heart and mind…

-EndFragment–>

***Be a Part of the Conversation and ADD A COMMENT***

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced yesterday he will be voting for Barack Obama. 

I have a lot of respect for Powell. He is a retired general and a Republican; and was once thought of as a Presidential candidate himself. But don’t expect to see Powell on the campaign trail. It has never been his style. 

I do expect McCain to discount the endorsement – but that won’t fly for most Americans, as Powell’s reputation and credibility are enviable. Any shooting at Powell’s decision will only make McCain look more desperate and not credible. 

What does this mean? 

For the most part, it is significant blow to the McCain camp saying “Obama is not qualified to be Commander and Chief.” Powell said, “He [Obama] has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president.” 

Is also sends a significant message to the Republican Party as Powell is a republican, endorsed Bush, and served as Secretary of State. 

Powell noted that either candidate would be qualified to be president and the next president will need to restore America’s standing and reputation in the world. 

***Be a Part of the Conversation and ADD A COMMENT***

If you remember, the government agreed in September to give $85 billion to faltering AIG to avoid a collapse in the economy (mmmm, how did that work out for you?).

AIG was so happy with the bailout that saved their company and their jobs they continued on with a $440,000 posh California retreat just days after the bailout. 

But wait, there is more. Buried in the news… 

AIG is saying they need more money. And the government, in such a giving mood right now, gave it to them. How much you ask? 

$37.8 billion. 

Yes, that is on top of the $85 billion in September. 

“The bottom line is, they need more liquidity than they thought,” said Mark Lane, an analyst for William Balir & Co. 

You just can’t make this S#%@ up! When will the government learn their lesson? When will someone make some solid decisions? Just say “no!” – even a four-year-old knows that! 

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t blame the government – exclusively – for the economic downturn. Frankly, we are all to blame. We, as a country, have been living in excess and mixed up priorities for some time. 

What we do going forward is key to our future and I have yet to see a fundamentally sound decision being made in the last month. I mentioned in my first AIG post that they would most likely need more money and here we are. Matter of fact, I am going to say it again; I highly suspect this STILL will not be the end of it. Companies like this seem to always keep coming back to the government trough (I hope I am wrong). 

***Be a Part of the Conversation and ADD A COMMENT***