Political Quotes of the Year: 2015

Quote of the Year: "No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they dorespect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find itsfulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.
-Anthony Kennedy in Obergefell v Hodges (2015)

Quote of the Year (runner up): "To me, especially in the Northeast, confronting my white privilege is going to the tanning salon."
-Katie Pavlich

Reality Check: "On the world stage, I think [Obama's accomplishments] have been minimal. But on the world stage, just to be objective about it, I can't think of many nations in the world where we have a better relationship now than when he took over."
-Jimmy Carter

And the rest...
"Congratulations to the president for turning a two year recession into a six year one."
-Kimberly Gilfoyle

“To state the obvious, the past six years have been really, really hard for this country.”
-Joe Biden

“I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America."
-Rudy Giuliani

"Poor people have been voting Democratic for 50 years, and they're still poor."
-Charles Barkley

"What I dream is that for one election ... every black person in America vote Republican."
-Stephen A Smith

"Get over your temper tantrum, Mr. President."
-John McCain

"we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well."
-Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

"There is a liberal fascism that is dedicated to going after believing Christians who follow the biblical teaching on marriage."
-Ted Cruz

“If Sue loves Joe and Tom loves Joe, Sue can marry Joe but Tom cannot,  why isn’t that a straightforward case of sexual discrimination?”
-John Roberts

“When will the media ask @BarackObama & @HillaryClinton key question for 2016- Knowing what we know now, would you still have abandoned Iraq?”
-Liz Cheney

"Let's be honest: Some black lives really don't matter. If you are a young black man shot in the head by another young black man, almost certainly no one will know your name. Al Sharpton won't come rushing to your family's side with cameras in tow. MSNBC won't discuss the significance of your death. No one will protest, or even riot, for you. You are a statistic, not a cause. Just another dead black kid, politically useless to progressives and the media, therefore all but invisible."
-Rich Lowry

"I won't be the youngest president, but with your help I'll be the youngest female president."
-Hillary Clinton

"Racism, we are not cured of it. And it's not just a matter of it not being
polite to say [n-word] in public."
-Barack Obama

“We should start calling this law SCOTUScare."
-Antonin Scalia on King v Burwell (2015)

"The Iran deal will take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven.”
-Mike Huckabee
"What a stunning historic mistake!"
-Benjamin Netanyahu on the Iran nuclear deal

"What is the difference between a Democrat and a Socialist?"
-Chris Matthews

“She counts on the fact that people are uninformed. The Alinsky model, taking advantage of useful idiots.”
-Ben Carson

“I think God has blessed us, he’s blessed the Republican Party with some very good candidates. The Democrats can’t even find one.”
-Marco Rubio

"The darkness from a decade ago has lifted, the Crescent City has risen again, and its best days lie ahead."
-George W Bush

“We don’t need an apprentice in the White House. We have one right now.”
-Scott Walker

"LGBT community (GGGG) are like the gay white KKK's. Get them some pink hoods and unicorns and let them rally down rodeo drive."
-Azealia Banks

"If you vote to send billions of dollars to jihadists who have pledged to bear direct responsibility to murder Americans, then you bear direct responsibility for the murders carried out with the dollars you have given them. You cannot wash your hands of that blood."
-Ted Cruz on the Iran deal

“Seventy years after the murder of 6 million Jews, Iran’s rulers promise to destroy my country, murder my people, and the response from this body, the response from nearly every one of the governments represented here has been absolutely nothing. Utter silence. Deafening silence.” .
-Benjamin Netanyahu

"We Live in a World Where Facts Don’t Matter"
-Charles Krauthammer

“I never took a position on Keystone until I took a position on Keystone.”
- Hillary Clinton

“You can tell the Egyptian prime minister it’s a terrorist attack, but you can’t tell your own people?”
-Jim Jordan to Hillary Clinton

"I’ve got a lot of really cool things I could do other than sit around, being miserable, listening to people demonize me and me feeling compelled to demonize them. That is a joke. Elect Trump if you want that."
-Jeb Bush

"Hillary is running for a lot of reasons—one of ‘em is because she wants to stay out of jail."
-Donald Trump

"Why can't we take out these bastards?"
-Reporter to Obama

"She's killed hundreds of thousands of people with her stupidity."
-Donald Trump on Hillary

"This president won't be the same feckless weakling that we have in the Oval Office right now."
-Chris Christie

"Hillary Clinton has announced that she is letting her husband out to campaign but HE'S DEMONSTRATED A PENCHANT FOR SEXISM, so inappropriate."
-Donald Trump

“She was favored to win and she got schlonged."
-Donald Trump

Quotes of the Month: October 2015

Quote of the Month: "We Live in a World Where Facts Don’t Matter"
-Charles Krauthammer

Stupid Quote of the Month:
“If only there was a ‘coon of the year’ award."
-Professor Anthea Butler on Ben Carson

And the rest...
"If I don't move, I'll be demoted to Secretary of State or something."
-Joe Biden

"What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide?"
- Rupert Murdoch

"I'm really not even a human being."
-Hillary Clinton

“I never took a position on Keystone until I took a position on Keystone.”
- Hillary Clinton

"We may have overestimated his anger management skills."
-Megyn Kelly on Donald Trump

“I just don’t like the guy.”
-George W Bush on Ted Cruz

"The acoustic guitar is the most important."
-Keith Richards

“You can tell the Egyptian prime minister it’s a terrorist attack, but you can’t tell your own people?”
-Jim Jordan to Hillary Clinton

"I’ve got a lot of really cool things I could do other than sit around, being miserable, listening to people demonize me and me feeling compelled to demonize them. That is a joke. Elect Trump if you want that."
-Jeb Bush

"Calm people live. Tense people die."
-Adam Savage

“I’ve got to tell you the truth — even in New Jersey what you’re doing is called rude.”
-Chris Christie to the CNBC Moderator

“That debate reflected a debate between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks.”
-Ted Cruz

Quotes of the Month: August 2015

Quote of the Month: “Don’t cry.”

-Rhonda Rousey to Bethe Correia after knocking her out

Stupid Quote of the Month: "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever."

-Donald Trump on Megyn Kelly

And the rest...
"Some people think it's a genius album, but I think it's a mishmash of rubbish, kind of like '(Their) Satanic Majesties.'”
-Keith Richards on Sgt. Pepper's

“I’m the only one to separate Siamese twins.”
-Ben Carson

“She counts on the fact that people are uninformed. The Alinsky model, taking advantage of useful idiots.”
-Ben Carson

“I think God has blessed us, he’s blessed the Republican Party with some very good candidates. The Democrats can’t even find one.”
-Marco Rubio

“I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes.”
-Jimmy Carter on his cancer diagnosis

"Just in case y'all not going to decide to do the right thing, if y'all got a crew, you got to have a fall guy in the crew."
-Chris Carter

"The darkness from a decade ago has lifted, the Crescent City has risen again, and its best days lie ahead."
-George W Bush

Quotes of the Month: April 2015

Quote of the Month: "America has shown to me as an immigrant, that it is the land of opportunity. And I appreciate America so much and this is why it was so important for me to give something back. And we have to keep it the #1 country in the world. So I want to say thank you to America; that you have given me everything that I have."


-Arnold Schwartzenegger

Stupid Quote of the Month: "we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well."


-Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

Typo of the Month: …"she’s fought children and families all her career."


-Hillary Clinton presidential announcement

　

And the rest...

　
"We were on Nixon's hit list and now we're in the Library of Congress. Ironic?!"


-John Densmore

"I think he had dinner reservations or a concert to play in."


-Torii Hunter on Country Joe West

"This is embarassing."



-Barack Obama on the Loretta Lynch nomination

"I am a woman."


-Bruce Jenner

"There is a liberal fascism that is dedicated to going after believing Christians who follow the biblical teaching on marriage."


-Ted Cruz

'You think the Middle East is chaotic now? Imagine what it looks like for our grandchildren. That's how Americans should view the deal.'"


-George W Bush

"I have faced many different obstacles in my life, and have always maintained a strong belief that no matter the circumstances, I could overcome those obstacles. While this diagnosis poses a new kind of challenge for me, I intend to stay true to my beliefs. With the support of my family and friends, I will meet this challenge with the same determination and unwavering intensity that I have displayed in all of my endeavors in life. I look forward to being back at the ballpark as soon as possible."


-Kirk Gibson

"If Sue loves Joe and Tom loves Joe, Sue can marry Joe but Tom cannot, why isn’t that a straightforward case of sexual discrimination?"


-John Roberts

Man of the Year: 2014

And the nominees...

Megyn Kelly: Fox News superstar. She follows the facts and is even willing to challenge Dick Cheney.

Meriam Ibraheem: Islamic extremists threatened to execute her for refusing to denounce Christianity. The pregnant woman eventually escaped to the west.

Clayton Kershaw: Historic season for the Dodger Ace, NL MVP and Cy Young.

Derek Jeter: 2Respect

Weird Al: First #1 album of his career, the third person with Top 40 hits in the 80s, 90s, 00s, and 10s, and a Draft Weird Al to be the Superbowl halftime show movement.

George W Bush: Obama's failures make Bush look prescient. Also, the New York Times reported the discovery of WMD in Iraq.

Vladimir Putin: Putin has restored Russian strength. They are players in the Middle East for the first time since the early 70s, have captured the Black Sea, and invaded the Ukraine.

ISIS: If the U.S. remained in Iraq, then ISIS would not be a threat. Obama made ISIS.

Comic Books on TV and in Movies: The Flash, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc. Comic entertainment has hit its zenith.

Madison Baumgarner: Greatest Postseason Pitcher ever?

Benjamin Netanyahu: Bibi put down terrorists and has to battle not only his political opponents, terrorists, and Iran, but an anti-Semitic White House as well.

Jonathan Gruber: Gruber exposed the left's real views on the American public.

Foo Fighters: Boldly going where no rock band has gone before.

And the winner: Meriam Ibraheem




 Previous winners: Mariano Rivera (2013), Miguel Cabrera (2012), Justin Verlander (2011), Drew Brees (2010), Leonard Nimoy (2009), Barack Obama (2008), Al Gore (2007), Rahm Emmanuel (2006)

Quotes of the Month: November 2014

Quote of the Month: "Thanks to all of you we are heading to Washington. And we are going to make ‘em squeal."


-Joni Ernst

Stupid Quote of the Month: "Burn this bitch down."

-Michael Brown's stepfather

A rare burst of honesty:

"Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really really critical to get for the thing to pass. Look, I wish Mark was right that we could make it all transparent, but I’d rather have this law than not."


-Jonathan Gruber Obamacare Architect

and the rest...

"I just took action to change the law."


-Barack Obama to immigration hecklers

"I don't care if she's as good looking as Taylor Swift or as nice as Mr. Rogers,

but if she votes like Michele Bachmann, she's wrong for the state of Iowa."


-Tom Harkin on Joni Ernst

"The Era of Obama Lawlessness is over."


-Ted Cruz


 "God, I’m going to sound like a grumpy old man. Modern music, to me, is very formulaic."


-David Gilmour

"Unapologetically, this is for the generation that wants to put its headphones on, lie in a beanbag, or whatever, and get off on a piece of music for an extended period of time. You could say it’s not for the iTunes, downloading-individual-tracks generation."


-David Gilmour on the new Pink Floyd album

"I don't think it's good for the country to have a former president undermine a current president; I think it's bad for the presidency for that matter."


-George W Bush

"Have you met Joe Biden?"


-Trey Gowdy on impeachment

"Iran is not your ally. Iran is not your friend. Iran is your enemy. It's not your partner."


-Benjamin Netanyahu

"The White House elevating Sharpton is insulting to black people."


-Juan Williams

"Obama can tolerate a lot -- cluelessness, incompetence, laziness -- but not criticism."


-Charles Krauthammer

 

Political Quotes of the Year: 2013

Quote of the Year: “Go fuck yourself.”

-John Boehner to Harry Reid

And

“I was all for Obamacare until I found out I was paying for it."

-Young Woman quoted in an LA Times story that saw her premiums increase 50%

Stupid Quote of the Year: “We have to break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to their families and recognize that kids belong to whole communities.”

 -Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC

Lie of the Year: “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. Period.”

-Barack Obama

Slam of the Year: "Sadly, Harry Reid has again revealed himself to be an idiot, this time gravely insulting Gulf Coast residents."

-Senator David Vitter

 “What difference does it make?”

-Hillary Clinton on Benghazi

 “The people of New Orleans and that area, they were hurt, but nothing in comparison to what happened to the people in New York and New Jersey.”

-Senator Harry Reid

"Spread your legs, you’re gonna be frisked.”

-Joe Biden to Senator Heidi Heitkamp

 “I’m proud to be President of the United States.”

-Joe Biden

“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law.”

-Barack Obama

"Death panels and sales taxes is how we do this."

-Paul Krugman

“I will speak until I can no longer speak.”

-Rand Paul beginning a marathon old school filibuster

"It's not Detroit versus Michigan. It's Detroit, Michigan."

 -GOVERNOR RICK SNYDER

"The biggest problem with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is that they are financial institutions with a social mission,"

-Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste.

"There was a time in my life when I wasn't likely to be found at a library, much less found one."

 -George W Bush

“I’m not the same Muslim Socialist I used to be.”

-Barack Obama

"The truth of the matter is, Barack knows it, I know, had the economy not collapsed around your ears, John, in the middle of literally--as things were moving--I think you probably would have won.”

-Joe Biden

"The law is irrelevant."

 -Obama spokesman Dan Pfeiffer

"I've heard more from Bush, asking for my advice, than I've heard from Obama," Klein stated from various sources close to the Obama administration. "I have no relationship with the president -- none whatsoever. Obama doesn't know how to be president. He doesn't know how the world works. He's incompetent. He's an amateur!"

-Bill Clinton

“The IRS has ruled Obama can write off the first half of his second term as a total loss.”

-Jay Leno

"Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago."

-Barack Obama (Martin was not raised by rich white parents)

“The only racism on that night was perpetrated by Trayvon Martin, and everybody knows it."

-Ted Nugent

“Enough was enough.”

-Governor Rick Snyder on Detroit

"Federal Election Commission can't do anything about it; they want the IRS to fix the problem. 'So everybody is screaming at us right now, 'Fix it now before the election. Can't you see how much these people are spending?'"

-Lois Lerner on Tea Party Groups

"The indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, the killing of women and children and innocent bystanders by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity."

-John Kerry

"I'll tell you the difference with Green Eggs and Ham is when Americans tried it, they discovered they did not like green eggs and ham and they did not like Obamacare either. They did not like Obamacare in a box with a fox, in a house or with a mouse."

-Senator Ted Cruz

 “Why would we want to help one kid with cancer?”

-Harry Reid

 “We’ve been told to make life as difficult for people as we can. It’s disgusting.”

-Park Ranger on his orders from the White House

“How can we tax people for not buying a product from a website that doesn't work?”

-John Boehner

"You know Obamacare is really I think the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery."

-Dr. Ben Carson

“This is not a historic agreement, it’s a historic mistake.”

-Benjamin Netanyahu

"It's fascinating to me that some of the pushback is coming from, sort of, white suburban moms who -- all of a sudden -- their child isn't as brilliant as they thought they were and their school isn't quite as good as they thought they were, and that's pretty scary."

-Arne Duncan

"Probably in one of my drunken stupors, probably approximately about a year ago."

-Toronto Mayor Rob Ford on when he tried crack cocaine.

"Honor the commitment the federal government made to those people and let them keep what they got."

-Bill Clinton to Barack Obama

“We thought he was going to be the next Messiah.”

-Barbara Walters on Barack Obama

“Embrace the suck.”

-Nancy Pelosi

"This isn't a wrinkle, it's a trainwreck."

-Charles Krauthammer on Obamacare

"I think I just became the first president to ever publicly mention Area 51."

-Barack Obama

"I think they're misleading their followers. I think they're pushing our members in places where they don't want to be. And frankly, I just think that they've lost all credibility by opposing legislation before the details are known."

-John Boehner

Quotes of the Month: April 2013

Quote of the Month: “This is our [expletive] city, and nobody is going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong.”

-Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz after the terror attack on the Boston Marathon

Stupid Quote of the Month:

“We have to break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to their families and recognize that kids belong to whole communities.”

 -Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC

And the rest…

“Drudge hurts what we are trying to do.”

-Obama Advisor Dan Pfeiffer

"I'll see you at the movies."

-Roger Ebert

“She also happens to be, by far, the best looking attorney general in the country.”

-Barack Obama

 “We're in deep doo-doo."

 -Dick Cheney on North Korea

"I think Carlos Quentin went to Stanford, something like that? I heard there's smart people at Stanford. That wasn't too smart."

-Matt Kemp after Quentin charged Zach Greinke

“Is everyone else sick of this shit?”

-Craig Ferguson on terrorism

"CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody."

-Boston P.D. Tweet

Do you know my name?

 -Reese Witherspoon to cops after her husband was stopped for DUI

 "There was a time in my life when I wasn't likely to be found at a library, much less found one."

 -George W Bush

 “That we expanded freedom at home by raising standards at school and lowering taxes for everybody, that we liberated nations from dictatorship and freed people from AIDS. And that when freedom came under attack, we made the tough decisions required to make the American people safe.”

 -George W Bush

“I’m not the same Muslim Socialist I used to be.”

-Barack Obama

"The truth of the matter is, Barack knows it, I know, had the economy not collapsed around your ears, John, in the middle of literally--as things were moving--I think you probably would have won.”

-Joe Biden

“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.”

-JASON COLLINS

“I should just pack up and go home.”

-Barack Obama

Presidential Songs: George W. Bush

George W. Bush did not have an official campaign song. However, on the night of the 2000 election, one clever staffer decided to play "Won't Get Fooled Again" by the Who to represent the defeat of the Clinton order.

Won't Get Fooled Again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp6-wG5LLqE

The Bush 43 Administration proved one of the more controversial in history. Perhaps the most controversial decision of the entire period came in 2003. That year, the United States resumed offensive military operations in Iraq. Although Bush did not have a campaign song for 2004, cynics might have chosen this one:

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

Man of the Decade: 2000-2009

Here are the candidates for Person of the Decade:

The American Soldier: Without a draft, the volunteer force had to sacrifice more than anyone during the last decade. It's been a long time since so few have had to sacrifice for so many.

Bono: Not only did U2 return to prominence, but Bono began a crusade for third world debt relief. His efforts culminated in the Live Eight Concerts in 2005.

George W Bush: Bush led the country threw a very decisive and troubled epoch. His accomplishments include liberating Iraq, Afghanistan, and leading the country through 911. His failings include forgetting Afghanistan, not corrected the excesses of the prior decade which led to the economic collapse, and the appearance of federal incompetence in the aftermath of Katrina.

Simon Cowell: No one exemplifies the collapse of the music industry than Cowell. American Idol helped change music by creating stars out of karaoke singers.

Creators of Facebook, Google, etc: Technology took off this last decade. Lord only knows what is coming next.

The Curse Breakers: The Red Sox, the White Sox, the Angels, and others broke long droughts to win championships.

Rudy Giuliani: Rudy was the hero of 911. He ran for president, but his heart did not seem to be in it.

The Iraqi Information Minister during the early days of the Gulf War: Before Robert Gibbs, there was the Iraqi Information Minister. As American tanks entered Baghdad, he claimed Iraq was winning the war. After the war, he apparently retired and became the inspiration for current White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

Derek Jeter: In a decade of athletes behaving badly, Jeter was a beacon of light. He is the modern Joe Dimaggio. Oh yeah, he is also Captain of the New York Yankees and won two of his five world titles in the aughts.

Steve Jobs: I-Phones, I-Pods, etc etc.

Barack Obama: Obama became the first black American President and gave a nice speech at the 2004 DNC.

Vladimir Putin: Putin returned stability to Russia and is in the process of making them into a world power once more. The international geopolitical situation is now in a state of flux. Putin is largely to blame.

The Winner: The American Soldier

Grades: First Year for Every President Since FDR

Here are the grades for every president's first year since FDR. The rationale for each grade is listed next to the name. If there are questions, google the terms or ask. Also, some events have a greater significance, so even if a president has a nice achievement or a dunderheaded move, it can be canceled out by something else. Interestingly, I gave Clinton a higher mark than many of the people in his administration for his first year...

Obama is not included.

I used January 20 as the end date for the accidental presidents.

FDR: A (New Deal)

Truman (April 12, 1945-January 20, 1946): A (Potsdam, Ended WWII,UN)

Eisenhower: A (Ended Korean War, Kept most of New Deal, Earl Warren)

JFK: D (Bay of Pigs, Alliance for Progress, Peace Corps, Berlin Wall, Failed summit, Space Program, Inaugural Address)

LBJ (November 22, 1963-January 20, 1965): A (Kennedy Assassination, Civil Rights Act, 1964 Election. Beginnings of Great Society)

Nixon: C (Inaugural Address, Bombing Cambodia, Beginning of Vietnamization, Silent Majority speech)

Ford: (August 9, 1974-January 20, 1975): A-(WIN Program, Nixon Pardon, Healer-in-chief)

Carter: C (Draft dodger pardon, Carter VS. Congress)

Reagan: A (First Inaugural Address, Tax Cuts, Assassination Attempt, Air Traffic Controller’s Strike, Confrontation, Defense Buildup, Sandra Day O‘Connor)

Bush 41: C (Panama, Fall of Berlin Wall)

Clinton: D- (FMLA, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, NAFTA, Travelgate, Troopergate, Whitewater, other assorted scandals, Waco, Somalia)

Bush 43: A (Tax cuts, 911, Patriot Act, No Child Left Behind, Withdrawal from ABM Treaty and Kyoto, Overthrow of Taliban and War on Terror, Ground Zero Speech, 911 Address to Congress)

Looking Back: Some 2010 Anniversaries

Happy New Year! The New Year is always a time to look to the future and reminisce about the past. It also provides a time to examine anniversaries of historical events. So, without delay, here are some anniversaries worth noting:

Five Years Ago (2005): Hurricane Katrina wipes out New Orleans. Over 1800 people died when Katrina struck. Government red tape and corruptions kept the levees from being upgraded to withstand a storm of that magnitude. Additionally, local and state officials failed to evacuate citizens in New Orleans resulting in a massive body count. On top of all this, the federal response was slow and incompetent thus demonstrating why government should not be allowed to run anything.

Ten Years Ago (2000): Bush vs. Gore. Gore won the popular vote, but Bush won the electoral college. It all came down to Florida's electoral vote. Gore decided to contest Democratic counties in Florida. During the multiple recounts, Gore made steady progress and cut into Bush’s lead in Florida. In recounts, the person leading the vote usually gains votes. Gore’s progress denotes possible vote fraud which led to protests. The Bush Campaign went to court. After a couple rounds in the Florida Supreme Court, the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court. On a 5-4 vote, they ended the madness in Florida and Bush became president. Gore’s mistake was not requesting a statewide recount at the beginning of this fiasco.

Twenty Years Ago (1990): Iraq invades Kuwait. Saddam Hussein decided to annex Kuwait. Iraq claimed it as a province. Hussein sent feelers to the Bush Administration about the invasion beforehand. The administration failed to warn off Hussein. As a result, Saddam felt he had a free hand and launched the invasion.

Twenty-Five Years Ago (1985): Gorbachev takes command. The Soviet Union buried three leaders during the Reagan Administration. Privately, President Reagan complained that he could not deal with the Soviets if their leaders kept dying. The Communist Party selected Mikhail Gorbachev to lead the country. Gorbachev was young and vigorous as opposed to the walking corpses that previously led the nation. Eventually, the new leader instituted reforms which backfired and helped destroy the USSR.

Fifty Years Ago (1960): Kennedy defeats Nixon. In the closest election anyone could remember, John Kennedy edged Vice-President Richard Nixon for the presidency. The election served as the transition in leadership from the Lost Generation to the G.I. Generation. Additionally, the first debate between Nixon and Kennedy proved the power of television. Radio listeners believed Nixon won the debate. Unfortunately for Nixon, more people saw the debate on television.

Seventy-Five Years Ago (1935): The Dust Bowl. Years of mismanagement of the nation’s farmland came home to roost. The topsoil was destroyed by generations of mismanagement and the great plains literally blew away. People on the east coast watched in amazement as Oklahoma blew into the ocean.

100 Years Ago (1910): Jack Johnson defeats Jim Jeffries. African-American boxer Jack Johnson beat all challengers. Whites demanded former champ Jim Jeffries return from retirement to defeat Johnson. Eventually, Jeffries relented and Johnson won the bout. Race riots broke out all over the country because a black man knocked out a white man in a boxing ring.

150 Years Ago (1860): Lincoln wins! In a bizarre presidential election, Abraham Lincoln defeated three other candidates for the presidency. There were two elections in 1860. In the South, John C. Breckinridge and John Bell squared off. Lincoln was not on the ballot. In the North, Republican Abraham Lincoln and Democrat Stephen Douglas battled. The North had the population and Lincoln won the North. So, Lincoln won the White House and the South left the Union.

200 Years Ago (1810): Macon’s Bill Number 2. Thomas Jefferson destroyed the American economy with his embargo. Congressman Nathaniel Bacon and President James Madison wanted to correct Jefferson’s error. President Jefferson believed Europe needed American goods and he could coerce the British and French into behaving on the high seas through an embargo. The two powers were seizing American ships to stop trade. Bacon’s bill promised to lift the embargo on whatever power promised to stop seizing American ships. Napoleon agreed, the U.S. dropped the embargo on France, and British-American relations suffered eventually leading to war in 1812.
300 Years Ago (1710): The Tuscarora Tribe protest land seizures. In 1710, the Tuscarora Indians sent a protest to the Pennsylvania colonial government. They complained about whites stealing their lands and enslaving their people.400 Years Ago (1610): Jamestown re-supplied. The winter of 1609-1610 was known as “the starving time” in Jamestown. The colonists lacked food and were surrounded by hostile Indians. They resorted to cannibalism. Eventually, the colony was re-supplied and repopulated with new colonists. This saved English North America.

500 Years Ago (1510): Slavery comes to the Americas. In 1510, Spanish King Ferdinand officially opened the New World to African slavery. This began 500 years of racial antagonism between whites and blacks in the Americas.

Presidential Legacies: The Post Cold War Executives 1989-2009

The world remained full of challenges after the Soviet Union fell. The Balkans exploded in a fury of ethnic cleansing. China and India were joining the ranks of industrial nations. The Middle East was an even more dangerous place as Islamic nations sought nuclear weapons and harbored terrorists. Additionally, the world's economy destabilized and de-industrialized. Technological advances changed communications, journalism, commerce, warfare, and everything else. The greatest challenges for American presidents during this period turned out to be the Middle East, the changing economy, and themselves.

George H.W. Bush was not the first president to have to deal with the Middle East. Jefferson had to fight a war there in the early nineteenth century. Like Jefferson, Bush led America to war against a lawless force. Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. This violated the post-war international consensus against offensive wars of conquest. President Bush went to the United Nations and garnered support to remove Iraq. Despite diplomatic initiatives, Saddam Hussein dragged his feet and dug in. The American-led coalition launched an air campaign lasting four weeks. Then, ground forces routed Iraq in 100 hours. It was a dramatic victory. Shell-shocked Iraqi soldiers surrendered to news crews. Today, most view the war as necessary to stop aggression. Hussein invaded Kuwait, threatened Saudi Arabia, and had to be removed. If the world allowed the conquest to stand, others might decide to launch offensive wars. Historically, the Gulf War and Korean War are the only instances where the United Nations stopped aggression. Bush’s approval rating hit 91%.

Bush’s popularity peaked too soon. A mild economic downturn and a third party candidate doomed the Bush Administration. Bill Clinton came out of nowhere to win the presidency. The Clinton Administration faced a new enemy born out of the Gulf War. El Queda began launching attacks against American interests. At first, Clinton treated it as a law enforcement issue. Eventually, he launched missile attacks on suspected El Queda bases (and an aspirin factory). However, by that point, he was mired in scandal.

The Clinton Administration was the most scandal-ridden in history. The biggest scandal led to his impeachment. At first, an independent counsel investigated a land deal in Arkansas. The attorney general expanded the independent prosecutor's mandate to include a wide range of improprieties. Eventually, those improprieties led to Monica Lewinsky. Clinton could have escaped had he admitted the affair immediately and apologized. Instead, he lied under oath. The cover up led to his impeachment. The House of Representatives voted to impeach Clinton on the charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Two other charges, abuse of power and perjury in a civil case, failed to pass the House. Clinton was tried in the Senate in 1999 and escape conviction and removal. However, the United States was rudderless for about a year as Clinton fought the charges. Had the president admitted the affair earlier or resigned, the country would have been better off. Instead, the battle polarized the country and allowed El Queda time to prepare for attacks on the USS Cole and 911.

Clinton’s peccadilloes severely damaged the Gore campaign. Gore did not know whether to use Clinton or to run and hide from him. The indecision doomed the campaign. Gore lost to George W. Bush. The country entered a recession in 2000 and Bush was determined to combat it. He cut taxes and then came the 911 attacks. El Queda and Osama bin Laden slaughtered 3000 people as airplanes leveled the World Trade Center in New York, struck the Pentagon, and crashed in Pennsylvania. Bush’s response to the crisis was widely lauded. His address to congress following the attacks echoed Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor speech and his visit to Ground Zero with the bullhorn just about ensured re-election.

After a brief buildup, American forces moved into Afghanistan to battle the Taliban and El Queda. The Americans secured a temporary victory in short order. Unfortunately, Osama bin Laden escaped. Then, began to dawdle unsure what to do next. American policy in Afghanistan remains unclear to this day. Meanwhile, the Administration began focusing its attention on Iraq.

While waging war in Afghanistan, the Bush Administration prepared for another conflict. Since Saddam Hussein failed to live up to the Gulf War cease fire, the United States had the legal right to re-engage. The administration used several arguments for war including the spread of democracy and stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The greatest firestorm since Vietnam ensued. At this point, war could have been avoided had Hussein allowed weapons inspectors back into the country. He didn’t and Bush launched the Second Gulf War. Hussein was later captured and executed. No weapons were ever found despite Saddam’s past use. Hussein later admitted plans to continue a program once the heat was off.

After the invasion, Bush declared victory. However, an insurrection broke out. American policy failed to confront the insurgents. The military did not have enough boots on the ground and the American government dissolved the only entity that could have helped, the Iraqi military. The war grew increasingly unpopular. Bush remained stubborn and patiently waited for victory. Finally, in 2007, Bush launched the surge. This, combined with diplomatic initiatives, defeated the radicals. As his term expired, Bush announced American troop withdraws.

Before Bush left office, the economy collapsed. A decade old government plan required banks to lend money to low income borrowers. Congress blocked reform attempts earlier in the decade. One senator opposing those reforms was Barack Obama. Ironically, Obama’s opposition to reforms that could have stopped the meltdown, helped his election in 2008.

Upon taking office, Obama began the greatest spending spree in history. The Bush Administration and Republican Congress had created massive deficits as a result of two wars, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, and insane spending. Upon assuming office, Obama turned into Bush on steroids. Instead of being pragmatic and dealing with the economy and two wars, he has been a blind ideologue. The Obama stimulus plan failed to fix the economy and cost $700 billion. He plans more spending while the dollar collapses. Unless some fiscal sanity overcomes Obama and/or the Pelosi Congress, then the Misery Index (hyperinflation and double digit unemployment) will be the result. One influential economist compared Obama’s economic policy to that of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. However, Obama’s Administration is just beginning and perhaps reality and common sense may strike before he can turn the U.S. into a third world country.

It is harder to discern a legacy for recent presidents. Sometimes, things ignored now become important later. For example, Clinton Administration rules forcing banks to lend to borrowers unable to repay loans led to a worldwide economic collapse. While he was in office, people celebrated Clinton's economic brilliance. Now, he is often cited as one cause of the economic collapse. In Obama’s case, he has not been in office a year yet, so he has a very limited body of work. This last grouping of presidents also provide an interesting psychological study. Clinton's inability to tell the truth and predilection for women, Bush's stubbornness, and Obama's blind adherence to a failed ideology handicapped these three chief executives. With that in mind, each president in this group dealt with the Middle East, the ups and downs of a changing economy, and with the possible exception of Bush 41, their own personality failings.

Presidential Legacies: The Next Generation 1825-1849

As the Founders' generation died off, people were leery of the next generation. Could America stay America without the Founding Fathers around to guide them? Here's the next generation of presidents starting literally with the next generation asJohn Quincy Adams takes office.

John Quincy Adams (1825-1829): Adams came into office under a cloud. The 1824 election was thrown to the House of Representatives. Adams won with the help of Henry Clay. Although no candidate won a majority of votes, Adams won less than Andrew Jackson. As a result, Adams felt he could not initiate any major policies since he did not think he had a big enough mandate and faced a very hostile Jacksonian Congress. Adams had no real accomplishments as president. George W. Bush used Adams as the example of what not to do in 2001. Bush decided to go after tax cuts, education reform, and a prescription drug benefit as opposed to sitting around like Adams. President Adams real legacy came after leaving office. Although, he was an accomplished diplomat, negotiated the Treaty of Ghent, the purchase of Florida, and the Monroe Doctrine, Adams should be remembered for his war on slavery. John Quincy Adams was the best ex-president in U.S. history.

Andrew Jackson (1829-1837): Jackson created the modern presidency. His detractors called him "King Andrew." Jackson vetoed more bills than any president to that point. He launched a war on the Bank of the United States and killed it. When South Carolina threatened to leave the union, Jackson threatened to destroy them. He also removed Native Americans from Georgia in violation of a court order. Jackson dramatically expanded executive power like no one before.

Martin Van Buren (1837-1841): Van Buren considered the presidency his reward for years of hard work. He worked his way up and helped form the modern Democratic Party. He maneuvered himself into the Vice Presidency by ingratiating himself with Jackson. Once he moved into the White House, he was as paralyzed by events as Jimmy Carter 140 years later. A major depression, sectional strife, and an inept chief executive marked Van Buren's stewardship. As a result, people began calling him "Martin Van Ruin" with the same contempt people in the 1930s appropriated Herbert Hoover's name for all things poverty.

William Henry Harrison (1841): Harrison ran the first modern presidential campaign complete with songs, spin, modern packaging of candidates, and a catchy slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler too." Once elected, Harrison gave a ridiculously long speech in bad weather, caught pneumonia, and died one month later.

John Tyler (1841-1845): Virginian John Tyler was added to the 1840 ticket for regional balance. Although Harrison was a Whig, Tyler was a Jacksonian Democrat. This was strange since Whigs and Democrats were opposites on important economic issues. However, no Vice President had ever become President and they were supposed to disappear into a black hole for four years. Harrison's death created a crisis. Who's president? Tyler assumed the office himself and asserted the right of all Vice Presidents to become President when the Chief Executive dies. Additionally, Tyler opposed his new party's programs and began vetoing their legislation. He was evicted from the Whigs and the Democrats refused to have him back. He became a man without a party. The Tyler Years demonstrate the importance of having a president and vice president on the same page ideologically. After leaving office, Tyler supported the Confederacy during the Civil War.

James K. Polk (1845-1849): Polk took the U.S. to War with Mexico. Polk attempted to bully the Mexicans into surrendering California and the American Southwest. They refused and attacked American troops at the Texas border. The United States won the war handily and conquered all or part of California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. This made up 42% of Mexico at the time.

#63 Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam is a classic rock band that formed out of the ashes of the now classic underground band, Mother Love Bone. They broke during the early 90s Alternative Revolution that spawned Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden. Their breakthrough album, Ten, has outsold Nirvana’s Nevermind, and is considered a classic.

Pearl Jam was never really an alternative band. Instead, they were a throwback to The Who, Neil Young, The Doors, and other classic rock bands. They were labeled alternative because they were not 80s hair metal and dealt with real issues as opposed to partying and getting drunk. The band struggled with success and continued to release hit albums. Lead singer Eddie Vedder is perhaps the last of the rock stars.

The band supports leftist causes and during the early 00s were castigated by fans for attacking President Bush. After a departure, they returned to their original sound in 2006 and in 2009 are reissuing Ten.

Rock n Roll Moment: Pearl Jam took on Ticketmaster over ticket prices and fees. They lost.

Essential Pearl Jam:

Ten (1991)
Vs. (1993)
Vitalogy (1994)
Pearl Jam (2006)

Pearl Jam’s Top 10:

Even Flow
Alive
Black
Jeremy
Daughter
Elderly Woman Behind A Counter In A Small Town
Better Man
Corduroy
Nothing As It Seems
Do The Evolution

Media Bias: 1992-2008

By the 1980s, the press dropped the mantle of objectivity and openly aided the Democratic Party. Up until this point, they tended to side with East Coast Elites such as the Roosevelts, Rockefellers, and Kennedys. The Right got tired of being attacked and being muffled, so they fought back using alternative media.

The press began to be challenged by right wing talk radio during the 1990s. They did not like it. The alternative press began to set the agenda. For example, 60 Minutes investigated the Vince Foster suicide in part because of Rush Limbaugh. Right Wing talk also helped elect a Republican Congress in 1994. (This is not to be taken to mean they elected the congress; Clinton blunders and GOP strategy had more to do with it).

While right wing radio concentrated on Clinton and his scandals, the mainstream press downplayed and ignored many Clinton scandals. They’d mention them and then excuse them. Dan Rather actually apologized to Clinton when asking a question on Whitewater. The press love affair with the Clintons would end however after Bill was safely re-elected.

After safely re-elected, the press began to take on Clinton. They were embarrassed and felt they did not need to be in the tank any longer. The Lewinsky Scandal put them over the edge. When pushed about a certain intern, he shook his finger at the press. They did not like that and they went into a feeding frenzy.

Once the press realized Clinton was heading toward impeachment for obstruction of justice, they began to rally to him. Democrats on the hill were very close to marching to the White House and demanding Clinton fall on his sword, and the president was impeached for obstruction of justice, but the press and the Dems managed to frame the debate and deflect the real issue of obstruction of justice. They claimed it was “just sex.” It was not. The cover up led to obstruction. Obstruction of justice was same thing that forced Nixon’s resignation. However, Clinton did not have Nixon’s decency and stayed on. (Had Clinton resigned, Gore would have become president and would have been unbeatable in 2000. In the end, supporting Clinton in 1999 essentially meant supporting Bush in 2000).

Instead, George W. Bush became president. During the 2000 campaign, the press parroted Democratic talking points and openly backed Gore’s demand for multiple recounts. (Gore lost several recounts and still managed to claim he won, but that is another story). Bush became the center of resentment in the press and in the leftbot blogosphere. The press spent eight years misrepresenting much of Bush’s War on Terror and some even openly supported the Arab terrorists. Meanwhile the left discovered blogs. This became a counter to right wing radio and became influential.

By 2008, the press was completely in the tank for the Democrats. First, they supported Hillary, but turned on her when they felt it was safe. They turned to Barack Obama. Obama is a dynamic speaker, but lacked the resume needed for the presidency. That did not matter. They went after their favorite Republican, John McCain, with impunity. The New York Times even published a false story about McCain (and Giuliani as well). The press became a wing of the Democratic Party themselves. Obama was perfect. He was liberal, biracial, and has Eastern credentials. It will be difficult for the GOP to beat Obama in 2012 as he is the incumbent and the media is will campaign for him regardless of his record. (Interestingly, Pew Research reported that Fox News was the only outlet with balanced coverage during the 2008 campaign).

So there we are. The media went from elitists to liberal elites. They originally supported those they felt worthy (i.e. East Coast credentials). During the Vietnam Era, they began going after the GOP and threw objectivity out the window in 1980. By 2008, they dropped the appearance of objectivity altogether and now are as reliable as Pravda was during the Cold War.

Bush: Worst President Ever

Well, some folks without historical knowledge would have you think so. In reality, there are a slew of presidents worse than W. Of course, this can change based on information that comes out through the years and sometimes what seems unimportant today is viewed as important in the future. So, this list is fluid based on what comes out.

As we know, there have been 44 presidents. Grover Cleveland counts twice since he served two non-consecutive terms. We shall count him once. Also not included: William Henry Harrison (served one month), James Garfield (served 6 months), and Barack Obama (less than a week).

Presidents are arranged chronologically:


John Quincy Adams (1825-1829): Completely ineffective as a result of himself as well as congress.

Martin Van Buren (1837-1841): Martin Van Ruin: Southern Lapdog

John Tyler (1841-1845): Became a man without a party; helped the South to secession; did have some accomplishments

Millard Fillmore (1850-1853): Who?

Franklin Pierce (1853-1857): Kansas-Nebraska

James Buchanan (1857-1861): Complicit with secession

Andrew Johnson (1865-1869): Impeached, blocked Reconstruction, his actions helped set up a century of racial strife

U.S. Grant (1869-1877): Different scandal every week...and there were some doozies

Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893): Economic policies (protectionism and inflationary monetary policy) created a depression.

William H. Taft (1909-1913): The Era of Bungled Diplomacy; TR ended up coming back to challenge him

Warren Harding (1921-1923): Teapot Dome, Nan Britton, and other assorted scandals

Herbert Hoover (1929-1933): The Bonus March, Hoovervilles, and his own version of the New Deal...

Jimmy Carter (1977-1981): Hostages in Iran, gas lines, Misery Index, the Carter years are a model of incompetence

Bill Clinton (1993-2001): Warren Harding on steroids. Impeached, turns down a deal for Bin Laden, regulatory policies that led to the crash of 2008, bureaucratic rules that helped lead to 911...the Clinton Years sell themselves!

Bush 2008

Struggles continued between Bush and Congress over the War on Terror, Iraqi War, and presidential power. The Congress rightfully outlawed torture. Bush vetoed the bill because it banned water boarding. One definite stain on the Bush Administration is the use of such tactics, euphemistically called “aggressive interrogations.” Information obtained from such tactics is unreliable. Therefore, the use of such is unnecessary.

Bush did win a couple of victories. The wiretap bill passed. This angered the left which complained that it monitored Americans. However, it is a strong tool that can be used to nail bad guys. The left may have helped the terrorists in this battle. Their initial complaints about the monitoring of people in Afghanistan that happened to call America tipped off the terrorists.

In addition to the wiretap bill and water boarding veto, Bush also won the battle on war funding. Democrats threatened to defund the Iraq War. Many on the left begged and pleaded for it. The Democrats were caught in an interesting quandary. They could take money away from American troops in the field or they could anger their base. The troops got their funds thereby ensuring the continuation of the Iraq War. At present, the war is won. So, those that voted for the funding did the right thing.

While Bush was winning his final political victories against the Democrats, the Supreme Court handed him a defeat. The court cancelled Bush Administration guidelines at Gitmo. The detainees could appeal their detentions. Legally, this is probably the correct decision. Practically, it is moot. Obama has promised to close the detention facility.

On the foreign policy front, Russia invaded Georgia. The Russians were looking to flex their muscles and regain super power status. So, they picked a fight with their smaller, weaker neighbor. They used the same logic that Hitler used to invade Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. (For some absurd reason, many on the left argued Georgia was as responsible for the conflict as Russia.) Bush handled the situation as well as could be. American troops began to appear in the region which forced Moscow to back down after their initial war aims were met.

The other major issue in 2008 was the economy. Early in the year, gas prices spiked to over $4 a gallon as a result of speculators. Prices eventually collapsed as a result of the worldwide economic crisis. OPEC has vowed to cut production to raise prices. In the US, there was a lot of talk, but no action by the administration and congress. Bush appeared helpless, Republicans and some Democrats talked about a gas tax break, while the left opined that the timing was wrong for a massive gas price hike.

Obama was one of those in favor of price spikes. He wants to eliminate fossil fuels and move to alternative energies. That is fine, but price spikes hurt people. Despite his support for high gas prices, Obama won the presidency with 52% of the vote. The vote was anti-Bush, but more importantly, John McCain ran a terrible campaign, and the economy collapsed.

As the year ended, Israel launched air strikes on the Palestinians. The Hamas Government had been lobbing rockets into Israel which is an act of war. Israel responded with devastating effect. The Israelis probably felt pressure to retaliate before the new pro-Palestinian American Administration took power. All out war may have begun.

Moving into 2009, Bush is trying to punt where possible to give Obama some latitude in action upon assuming the presidency. Obama will be handling the worst economic situation since Jimmy Carter’s Administration. The situation has the potential of being as bad as the 1930s. Also, Obama will have to deal with Afghanistan and wind down the Iraq War.

Bush: 2007

Domestically, 2007 was a near failure. The Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act, but the Immigration Bill Failed. Conservatives attacked the “amnesty bill” and alienated the Hispanic Vote. This helped sow the seeds of defeat in 2008.

Bush fired several US attorneys. Democrats complained. A phony Washington scandal was born.

Overseas, the Surge in Iraq began. The Democrats declared defeat. However, the surge turned the war around and it is basically won. It is Obama’s to wind down or screw up.

Lastly, there was an Agreement with North Korea over nuclear program. We’ll see about where this one leads….

Bush: 2006

2006 was another poor year for Bush. Although Zarqawi was killed and Saddam executed, Bush continued to suffer setbacks in Iraq. The insurrection continued to grow.

Meanwhile, illegal immigrants and their allies had their own insurrection. In several cities, there were protests and walkouts for illegal aliens’ rights. This angered many and pushed Bush to support immigration reform in 2007.

The courts began to push back as well. The Terrorist Surveillance Program was ruled unconstitutional. This ruling basically gave constitutional rights to terrorists worldwide. The program monitored terrorists’ communications worldwide. Idiots that opposed the program believed that it opened the door to spying on Americans. Of course, we know that did not happen. It was an attempt to bloody Bush some more. Bush did not appeal for whatever reason.

The high court also ruled that military tribunals were a no-no. This reversed a World War II decision allowing such tribunals. The tribunals were controversial as some believed the terrorists would not receive fair trials. This has proven false. However, it the controversy demonstrates the difficulties surrounding the incarceration of multi-national enemy combatants as opposed to soldiers in a national army.

Also pushing back were the Iranians. The fascist government of Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb. Their program is buried deep underground. As a result, it is probably safe from a strike. This problem goes back at least a decade and will continue into the Obama Administration. Obama has promised to drop nukes on Iran should they attack Israel.

Bush had two achievements of note in 2006. First, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands were named a national monument creating largest marine preserve in US History. Second, Samuel Alito was nominated to the Supreme Court.

In November, the Democrats took over both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994. Bush was a drag. More importantly, the Republicans had been involved in several scandals and stuck their noses into the Shiavo case in 2005. The biggest bomb came at the 11th hour of the election when Rahm Emmanuel released information on the Mark Foley scandal. This turned a Democratic tide into a landslide.