Category Archives: Uncategorized

Parent of a High School Graduate

Posted on June 2, 2009 | 4 Comments

There have been numerous times over the course of my life when I have felt old.  The first time my back gave out quickly comes to mind.   I also began feeling older when I gained weight even with diet and exercise.

But this past weekend put it into an entirely new stratosphere. 

My weekend kicked off on Thursday morning as I made the trek north to take my daughter to her college orientation.  This program goes under the guise of providing information to parents and students as they enter college.  What it really does is drive home the fact that I am closer to retirement than I am to entering the workplace.

When we arrived on campus, parents and children (that’s what they are) walked together toward the auditorium.  It felt like just yesterday when my parents brought me to my college orientation – now here I am partaking in a new family ritual. 

My problem is that many of these parents looked like parents or even grandparents while I still consider myself a 25 year old guy nowhere near old enough to have a child let along a college student. 

Of course, I probably look like many of these parents.  The appearance of age caused by time and worry in both my face and posture.  Time, I can do nothing about.   Worry, on the other hand, caused by money, family health and of course, parenting.   I won’t even begin to discuss my weight.

These same children who brought me joy, happiness and laughter have also provided me with stress, loss of sleep and wrinkles.  {I’d take that deal any day.}

Some of the orientation schedule paired the kids with the parents.  Those sections felt like pep rallies with give-aways, speeches by athletics coaches and bullhorns, bullhorns and more bullhorns.

With the kids on their own to tour the campus, meet with advisors and fill out schedules for summer and fall, the parents had their own presentations.  We heard about financial items, campus life, what our children will expect and we toured the campus, including the dorms.  

Parents had their own give-away.  A couple of presenters began throwing what appeared to be t-shirts into the crowd.  I caught one of the last ones tossed.  Upon grabbing it, I found that it was lighter and had the wrong material to be a t-shirt.  I opened up my new possession and discovered it to be a laundry bag with the school name on it.  It’s something the kids need but they knew enough to give them to the parents.

After 2 days – yes, this went on for 2 days – parents, whom I didn’t know, asked me if I felt the program was too long.  I did, especially during the hour long financial discussion when my jimmy-legs started acting up.  I needed a walk badly.

I have 2 more trips planned to the university this year.  Later this month, I take my daughter to school and help her move into the dorm and get settled for the summer term.  This trip will be the most exhausting and emotional vacation of my life.  It is a weeklong trip where I say goodbye to my daughter for about 6 weeks – the longest I have ever been apart from her AND it is a college tour trip where I take my son on a 5 day – 5 college tour covering 1,500 miles in Florida. 

The other trip is in August where I move her in for the school year.  More stuff, longer time apart and more emotion.  It concludes with a 5 hour drive home . . . alone.

*  *  *  *  *  *

My weekend continued on Saturday – after arriving home from the university, I attended a high school graduation party for my daughter’s boyfriend.  It turned out to be a very nice evening even though I was thoroughly exhausted.

My weekend concluded with Graduation Day!   I literally ran all over town before the graduation {too much to include here} and I was ready for a nap {another sign of age} even before the 3 pm start time.

Since this school has the largest graduating class in the country – over 1,200 students – I knew this ceremony would be L-O-N-G.  Pomp and Circumstance took a while as all twelve hundred students entered the arena to take their seats.  There was about an hour of pre-speeches – the principal, school board members, the valedictorian and salutatorian and a video of well-known people providing well-wishes to the graduating class. 

I brought reading material to keep me occupied during the long announcement of names but found that I was more interested in the kids reactions than I was in my book.

The realization of life as an empty nester (which is a year away) is now in my mind.  My daughter will now mostly only look to me for money and advice.  I know she’ll still appreciate the little things – like the small complement but as she prepares for college in a new city, it has become clear to me that my full parental requirements are no longer needed. 

My daughter has proven to me that she is ready for the challenge of living on her own.  Rather than dwell over this, I will attempt to celebrate this as a job well done by her parenting team and everyone else who touched her life, but most of all – my daughter.  She has developed maturity well beyond her almost 18 years and has tremendous poise.

I will miss seeing her on a regular basis but I look forward to hearing from her with updates as she experiences some of the best years of her life.

My 2 Buck$

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Back from a much needed vacation

Posted on March 16, 2009 | Leave a comment

The batteries are recharged. I’m feeling better already – except for the part about having to go back to work.

A one-week Caribbean cruise will do that to you. Sun – Music – Alcohol.

I did my best to avoid thinking about work. I recently changed positions in my company – remaining in the same department – taking on a ton more responsibility. I had been told that my previous position would likely be eliminated during 2009 if I didn’t make a move. So in staying within the department I was given an entire new list of job objectives that will require anywhere from 40-80 hours per week depending on the project lifecycle. And just for playing, I got to keep much of my old responsibilities – all for that special price of having a job at the same salary. Hurray! Where’s my Rice-a-roni – the San Francisco treat?

For the next 7 months, my job will increase in work and stress until I need another vacation. I hope to post as much as I can but employment comes first.

You may have noticed the reduction in posts over the recent weeks. You can blame the job – or thank the job to my friends who disagree with me. J

Back on the ship . . . Each morning, my cabin received an insert of New York Times articles. I bypassed anything that said Obama. I didn’t want to think of anything politics.

After returning home and unpacking, I checked my portfolio. BIG MISTAKE.

The market did well last week. Very well, in fact. Not my holdings. Some went up meekly while others held steady. And don’t get me started on the 2 that fell. And you called this a rally?

I haven’t caught up on the news yet with the exception of this Jim Cramer versus Jon Stewart extravaganza.

What’s next for My 2 Bucks?

I plan on continuing with my passions – politics and weird news stories. I also expect that I’ll need a stress relief so if need be, I may vent here. Then again, screaming in the car has done well for me so far.

The big news over the next few months is that my eldest child will be leaving for college in June. It has been recommended to me that I write about the experience as others may be sharing the same experiences. I may give that a whirl too.

When I started this site last May, I never intended to be solely a political blog. It just happened to turn into that (with the exception of hurricane season.)

So expect a brief review of my cruise and the ‘I can’t believe I missed this while on vacation’ post – if the news last week warranted that.

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Senator Mel Martinez opts not to run for re-election in Florida

Posted on December 2, 2008 | Leave a comment

Huge news out of Florida.  Senator Mel Martinez WILL NOT run for re-election in 2010. 

The Hill is reporting that Martinez “announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in 2010, passing on what looked to be one of the most difficult reelection battles in the country.”

Republican Senator Martinez calls out lie by Cheney

Mel Martinez

The Republican Junior Senator from Florida really hadn’t been heard from during his 4 years in office.  The Cuban-born Martinez did weigh in on the illegal immigration issue as well as against the party’s ‘drill baby drill’ position until John McCain and Florida Governor Charlie Crist became supporters of off-shore drilling.

He had short runs as Housing and Urban Development secretary and as co-chair of the Republican National Committee when the party lost seats during the 2006 election.

During the 2004 Republican primary for the Senate, The St. Petersburg Times had endorsed Martinez against his opponent, Bill McCollum.  The Times retracted the endorsement after Martinez called McCollum “the new darling of the homosexual extremists.” 

Martinez’s had indicated his intention to run for re-election but was planning on making the announcement after the first of the year. 

His decision to forego the reelection bid makes the already difficult attempt at a Republican hold even more difficult.

There have already been a large number of Democrats whose names have been tossed about – Representatives Allen Boyd, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Ron Klein, Robert Wexler and Kathy Castor and Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink.

Wexler was an early Barack Obama supporter and was one of Congresses loudest voices pushing for the impeachments of Bush and Cheney.

Wasserman Schultz is best known in Congress as the person who threw the rubber stamps and declared that the former Republican Congress would not be a ‘rubber stamp Congress.’  She is also Chris Matthews’s favorite Congressional guest.  You have to watch him interview her.

Sink is a first term CFO and is married to former Florida Governor candidate, Bill McBride.

I would like to see either Wasserman Schultz or Wexler get the nod though I am a big fan of a person not on the initial list.  My personal choice is Daryl Jones.  He is a retired colonel in the Air Force and a former member of the Florida House of Representatives.  In 2002, he became the first African American to run for Florida governor in 2002 and the second chosen to run for lieutenant governor in 2006 (the only other African American was Republican David Montgomery in 1876.  Yes 1876)

The question is who will replace Martinez as the Republican candidate for the seat? 

Former Governor Jeb Bush comes to mind.  He needs somewhere to build up the Bush name again.  Bush, however, had already declined to run against Bill Nelson in 2006.

Will Katherine Harris have the stones to give it another try?  I seriously doubt it.          

MSNBC host of Morning Joe and former Congressman, Joe Scarborough was also approached about running in 2006.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he would give it a go this time.

My prediction is that U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV will go for that seat.  His father held the Senate seat now held by Bill Nelson.

Other names I can think of:  Current Florida Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp and current Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum (who twice failed in previous Senate runs, including the 2004 loss to Martinez).

I would love to see Rush Limbaugh throw his hat into the ring.  Rush lives in Palm Beach County.

In order to give the Republican the advantage in 2010, Martinez should resign the seat allowing Republican Governor Charlie Crist to appoint his replacement.

Sources:  Read Sen. Martinez won’t run for re-election in 2010 in The Hill

[Update] 

The spokesman for Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced today, “the congresswoman is very happy in the House of Representatives where she plans to continue to work on behalf of the people of Florida’s 20th Congressional District.”

The Sun-Sentinel provided some good analysis for Wasserman Schultz’s decision:

“She’s chairwoman of a subcommittee on the Appropriations Committee. That position, known as one of the cardinals who make decisions on the federal budget, is extraordinarily powerful, and achieving it was a major feat for a junior member. And it puts her on the ladder that ultimately could see her ascend to the top levels of government in the House.

“Wasserman Schultz is also unabashedly liberal, something that puts her in sync with her South Florida district but might not sit so well with voters in a statewide election.” 

[Another update]

At 1:50 pm Bill McCollum has put out a statement.  If you recall from a few paragraphs up, McCollum was the one smeared by Martinez in 2004 and is currently Florida Attorney General.

“I have been asked today whether this announcement will have any effect on my plans for the future. At this point, my plan is – at the appropriate time – to announce my intention to seek re-election as Florida’s Attorney General. However, given today’s development, I will seriously consider and discuss with my family a race for this U.S. Senate seat, and we will share our decision at a later date.”

 

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The Candy Cane is Mightier than the Knife

Posted on December 2, 2008 | Leave a comment

Never piss off or threaten someone with a Christmas lawn ornament. I bet Donald Kercell, of Sacramento, will be thinking of that the next time he wields a knife at neighbors who are gathered outside.

Donald Kercell

Donald Kercell

Kercell’s neighbors were hanging outside on Thanksgiving. Drunk and clearly stupid, he wandered over to their house going after them with a knife.

After cutting the clothing of a few of the neighbors (there were reports of minor injuries) one of them decided to fight back and pummeled Kercell into submission with a 2-foot long plastic candy cane lawn decoration.

Was that candy cane solid plastic or the kind made of thin plastic with the lights running through it? If it was the latter, there is no question that Mr. Kercell is the most pathetic individual of 2008. He was beaten to the ground by a fragile piece of plastic.

Why Kercell went over to the house is still unknown as of this writing but I have to figure that being alone and drinking on Thanksgiving could have played a part in the anger and then to see his neighbors having a jovial time out on the lawn could have set him off.

So now Kercell has something else to hang his head about. You have a knife and you getting beaten by a man with a piece of plastic. Good thing a garden gnome wasn’t involved.

candy-caneKercell was arrested for suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Meanwhile, the Candy Cane Vigilante was determined to be acting in self-defense and thus was not arrested.

So Christmas saves Thanksgiving for these Sacramento residents.

From the ‘I Swear I’m not Making this up’ file.

Sources:

Sweet Smackdown:  Man Beats Attacker — With Candy Cane

Attacker Beaten with Candy Cane, Police Say

* * * * *

Part II – So who exactly is Donald Kercell?

On May 19, 2007, The Sacramento Bee published a story written by Steve Wiegand, who probably never expected anyone to read this story a year and a half later.

A Concrete reform try in Danger describes Kercell as a then 48-year old concrete working meth-head.

May 19–Don Kercell thinks he’s earned a second chance.

The Contractors State License Board does not agree.

And therein lies a tale of choices and consequences; crime and punishment; addiction and rehabilitation; public protection and personal redemption — and second chances.

Kercell is a 48-year-old resident of Rio Linda. In his youth, he discovered two things. One was that he had a talent for working with concrete.

The other was methamphetamine.

The former, coupled with an impressive work ethic, kept Kercell gainfully employed much of the time. The latter put him in prison.

“I guess I started (doing meth) when I was 20,” he said in an interview. “I’ve done drugs half my life, but I’ve always worked.”

In 1995, at the age of 36, Kercell’s life hit the skids. Over the next decade, he was convicted of, and served time for, an array of crimes that included drug possession, possession of an assault weapon, battery and drug manufacturing.

While doing a three-year term at Soledad, he was pushed “kicking and screaming” into a full-time drug rehabilitation program.

“They had a lot of good things to say,” Kercell said. “There were some things I disagreed with, but the bottom line is I’m done with it, and I’ve been clean and done everything right since I got out.”

Kercell had previously done time – for battery. I also guess he was making his own meth. I am sad to report here that the last sentence is no longer true. Now he can add that he was beaten by a plastic candy cane to his list.

That was in March 2005. After working here and there, Kercell answered a help wanted ad placed by Jim Alexander Concrete Construction in September.

“I’d say 99 percent of the guys who answer those ads are worthless,” Alexander told me, “but it was clear from the start that Don knew what he was doing.”

Alexander said Kercell is not only a whiz when it comes to concrete work, but a model employee: “He hits the job running, he is reliable, he’s easygoing and he’s honest.”

In late 2005, Kercell decided to try and get his own concrete contractors license, as a way to make more money and be able to legally freelance side jobs while working for Alexander. He took a course to prep him for the exam, paid his fees, posted his bond and aced his test.

But the CSLB rejected his application. According to board spokesman Rick Lopes, it wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction to Kercell’s drug and prison past. Nearly a fifth of all license applicants have criminal histories, Lopes said. But fewer than 4 percent are denied licenses on that basis. Those denied fall into three general categories of offenses: burglary, consumer fraud and violent acts.

“Our main role is to protect consumers,” Lopes said, “and if there are concerns, we are always going to err on the side of not granting the license.”

The board’s concern that tripped up Kercell’s chances has to do with a fight he had nine years ago. In 1998, Kercell said, he was returning from visiting his mom in Arizona when he got into a fight with a Southwest Airlines flight attendant at the Sacramento airport.

Kercell says the other guy swung first. But airport security cameras weren’t working, and Kercell’s word as an ex-con was considered less than golden. Because he was already doing time on a parole violation, he agreed to plead no contest to the battery charge since he wasn’t facing any additional jail time.

“I never should have done it (pleaded out),” Kercell said. “I never would have if I’d known it would cause this trouble.”

Honest, hardworking and violent. I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve seen a flight attendant take a swing at a customer.

On June 6, Kercell will take his appeal of the board’s denial before an administrative law judge. If the judge turns him down, Kercell’s only practical choice is to wait a few more months and reapply.

“All I want is a license,” he said. “I’m through with drugs, with all the trouble it causes.

“I just want a second chance.”

Now Kercell is going to get his second chance . . . . IN THE BIG HOUSE.

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Replacing Congress – The Obama Administration

Posted on November 18, 2008 | Leave a comment

We seem to be unable to get enough of the election of Barack Obama. The media has been analyzing the type of presidency he will have, will he act Lincolnian and reach across the aisle to fill cabinet positions and will he be able to restore the country after 8 disastrous years.

Analysis is on-going over the Democratic swing in Congress (including the 3 Senatorial races yet to be decided in Alaska, Georgia and Minnesota).

What has not been talked about as much is who will step into the Congressional seats for the new administration. Illinois will be losing one Congressional seat as Rahm Emanuel becomes Obama’s Chief of Staff. This is in addition to the seat vacated by Senator Obama over the weekend (full text of Obama’s letter to the people of Illinois to follow).

Add to that the Delaware Senate seat soon to be vacated by Vice President-elect Joe Biden (still love saying this) and any elected officials selected by Obama for his cabinet. We know that New York Senator Hillary Clinton is among the names being considered for Secretary of State.

Tammy Duckworth

Tammy Duckworth

So who would replace Obama and Emanuel in Illinois? State law says that the governor will appoint a replacement to the Senate seat that is up for election in 2010. Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich has set up a panel that will vet the candidates.

The list includes – Representatives Jesse Jackson Jr., son of Rev. Jesse Jackson and Jan Schakowsky. If selected, this would vacate another Illinois congressional seat and the process would begin again. Also on the list are Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes, retiring state Senate President Emil Jones, state Senator Kwame Raoul, and Dan Seals, a marketing consultant.

My personal favorite is Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth who is a wounded Iraq War veteran. Duckworth is a decorated officer who lost both of her legs in Iraq. She would bring leadership and a passion for our troops to the Senate. She would be a spectacular choice to replace President-elect Obama.

On November 4th, Joe Biden was re-elected to a 7th term in the U.S. Senate. When Biden resigns his seat, it will be filled either by out-going two-term Governor Ruth Ann Minner or the in-coming Governor-elect Jack A. Markell. Both governors are Democrats and will be able appoint someone to fill the vacancy until a Special Election in 2010.

Beau Biden

Beau Biden

The name that is floating around and my personal choice is Joe Biden’s son, Beau.

Beau Biden (Joe Biden III) is the Attorney General of Delaware and is currently a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard serving in Iraq. The latter role is one of the obstacles in the process. According to military law, someone may not serve in elected office while serving in the military. Beau Biden has also indicated that he would prefer to win elected office rather than be appointed to it. He declined an appointment to Attorney General opting instead to run for the post.

Another option is Lt. Governor John Carney who lost the Democratic Party nomination for governor this year. He has already indicated an interest in the position as well as a desire to continue in the Senate beyond the 2010 special election.

Illinois Representative Rahm Emanuel would be vacating his leadership in the House of Representatives to serve as Obama’s chief of staff. Blagojevich will have to set a special election to replace Emanuel. Rumors have circulated that Emanuel wants to serve as Obama’s chief of staff for just 2 years and then return to Congress.

It will be interesting to see who throws their hat into ring for this seat. A few names I have heard are former Emanuel aide, John Borovicka, Bill Dailey Jr. and Illinois state representative Sara Feigenholtz.

Finally, if Hillary Clinton is selected as Secretary of State or any other cabinet position, she will vacate her Senate seat. As a result, New York Governor David Paterson will have to select a replacement for Clinton until a Special Election in 2010 that would fill her seat for the final 2 years of her current term.

While I could sit here and wrack my brain over who the candidates are, I can really only come up with 2 suitable names. Actually, it is 2 people with only 1 suitable name: Kennedy. The leading choice is Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy. She is an attorney and an author who had endorsed Obama early in the campaign. Rumors have circulated that she may be selected for a post in Obama’s cabinet.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The other Kennedy is Robert Jr. Kennedy is an attorney and co-host of the Air America radio program, Ring of Fire. He had endorsed Hillary Clinton during the primaries. The seat Clinton current holds once belonged Kennedy’s father. He has 2 great political passions – the climate / environment and election integrity. Rumors have circulated that he is being looked at for a position on the Obama cabinet as well. Kennedy has said that the only way he would be interested in Clinton’s seat is if she became the president. I do believe that it would be fitting for RFK Jr. to hold the seat once held by his father.

As Obama’s administration takes shape over the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see what seats / positions open up along the way.

Sources:

Illinois Governor Eyes Obama Replacement -  RollCall.com

Sara Feigenholz’s letter of interest in Emanuel’s seat – posted on the Daily Kos

BY PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA

Today, I am ending one journey to begin another. After serving the people of Illinois in the United States Senate — one of the highest honors and privileges of my life — I am stepping down as senator to prepare for the responsibilities I will assume as our nation’s next president. But I will never forget, and will forever be grateful, to the men and women of this great state who made my life in public service possible.

More than two decades ago, I arrived in Illinois as a young man eager to do my part in building a better America. On the South Side of Chicago, I worked with families who had lost jobs and lost hope when the local steel plant closed. It wasn’t easy, but we slowly rebuilt those neighborhoods one block at a time, and in the process I received the best education I ever had. It’s an education that led me to organize a voter registration project in Chicago, stand up for the rights of Illinois families as an attorney and eventually run for the Illinois state Senate.

It was in Springfield, in the heartland of America, where I saw all that is America converge — farmers and teachers, businessmen and laborers, all of them with a story to tell, all of them seeking a seat at the table, all of them clamoring to be heard. It was there that I learned to disagree without being disagreeable; to seek compromise while holding fast to those principles that can never be compromised, and to always assume the best in people instead of the worst. Later, when I made the decision to run for the United States Senate, the core decency and generosity of the American people is exactly what I saw as I traveled across our great state — from Chicago to Cairo; from Decatur to Quincy.

I still remember the young woman in East St. Louis who had the grades, the drive and the will but not the money to go to college. I remember the young men and women I met at VFW halls across the state who serve our nation bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan. And I will never forget the workers in Galesburg who faced the closing of a plant they had given their lives to, who wondered how they would provide health care to their sick children with no job and little savings.

Stories like these are why I came to Illinois all those years ago, and they will stay with me when I go to the White House in January. The challenges we face as a nation are now more numerous and difficult than when I first arrived in Chicago, but I have no doubt that we can meet them. For throughout my years in Illinois, I have heard hope as often as I have heard heartache. Where I have seen struggle, I have seen great strength. And in a state as broad and diverse in background and belief as any in our nation, I have found a spirit of unity and purpose that can steer us through the most troubled waters.

It was long ago that another son of Illinois left for Washington. A greater man who spoke to a nation far more divided, Abraham Lincoln, said of his home, “To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything.” Today, I feel the same, and like Lincoln, I ask for your support, your prayers, and for us to “confidently hope that all will yet be well.”

With your help, along with the service and sacrifice of Americans across the nation who are hungry for change and ready to bring it about, I have faith that all will in fact be well. And it is with that faith, and the high hopes I have for the enduring power of the American idea, that I offer the people of my beloved home a very affectionate thanks.

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Alaska at the polls – The numbers don’t add up

Posted on November 11, 2008 | Leave a comment

It’s strange writing about the political scene in Alaska without the subject being about Sarah Palin.

At first I thought the foul smell coming from the 49th state was a rotting moose carcass shot from a helicopter or maybe the First Dude spent too much time in the tanning bed.

Alaskan politics and corruption are obviously synonymous. But something is seriously wrong with their election.

Incentive to Vote

Alaskan voters had more reason to vote in this election than in recent memory.

Republican Congressman Don Young recently celebrated 35 years in office. This election cycle was to be more difficult for Young as he is under federal investigation for corruption involving VECO Corporation. His challenger was former state House minority leader Ethan Berkowitz who led in every poll before Election Day.

Republican Senator Ted Stevens or should I say Convicted felon Ted Stevens also trailed in the polls to Democratic Mayor of Anchorage Mark Begich. Stevens has been in office 40 years. For those of you living under a slain caribou the last 10 days, Ted Stevens was convicted on all 7 felony charges of giving false statements regarding the investigation involving – you guessed it – VECO Corporation. {An aside: I am sure Stevens will be pardoned by Bush before he leaves office on January 20th.}

If that wasn’t enough to motivate you to vote, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was atop the ticket as the running mate for GOP Presidential candidate John McCain. Polling had McCain – Palin leading by a wide margin over Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

 

By the Numbers

Registration was up in Alaska as it was throughout the entire United States. There were 30 thousand new registered voters since 2006 with this number somewhat split between Republicans and Democrats. There are 50 thousand more registered Republicans than Democrats which would – with all things being normal – have meant a cakewalk for the Republicans at the voting booth.

Alaskans Registered by Party:

RECOGNIZED POLITICAL PARTIES


STATEWIDE
TOTALS

TOTAL

Alaskan

Independence

Party

Democratic

Party

Libertarian

Party

Republican

Party

Nov 4, 2008

496,828

13,828

77,036

6,926

127,446

Nov 6, 2006

466,887

13,412

66,636

8,787

115,397

Nov 5, 2004

473,927

15,581

71,506

7,258

118,008

 

POLITICAL GROUPS


STATEWIDE
TOTALS

TOTAL

No

Party

Affiliation

Undeclared

Green

Party

Republican

Moderate

Veterans

Party

Nov 4, 2008

496,828

77,582

185,320

2,926

3,842

1,922

Nov 6, 2006

466,887

73,081

177,686

3,620

4,752

2,026

Nov 5, 2004

473,927

70,615

179,374

4,470

4,459

—

But all things aren’t normal this year. All 3 statewide Republican candidates were mired in scandal (Palin is still linked to Troopergate) and the polls support the uphill battles faced by both Young and Stevens. You would figure that at least one of the 2 would have been defeated.

Based on the current results, 305,281 Alaskans voted (early voting, absentee ballots or on Election Day). This is over 8,000 lower than the number in 2004. Add to this, there are 23,000 additional registered voters.

McCain – Palin actually received about 50,000 FEWER votes than the 2004 Bush – Cheney ticket.

This is the second LOWEST turnout for a general election in Alaska behind the 1996 Bill Clinton / Bob Dole race. The other 49 states achieved higher turnouts. How is this possible?

So with 4,000 more early voters this year (a 30% increase) and longer lines at the polls on Election Day, one must wonder how turnout actually DROPPED.

What Could Have Happened?

Did some Democrats stay home on Election Day as the results started filing in hours before the polls closed in Alaska? Not likely since early voting was up this year. In fact, 30% higher than in 2004.

Could voters have decided that with the corruption hanging over their 3 main political figures it was better to stay home to demonstrate their outrage? Actually, apathy would keep the voters home. Anger drives them to the polls to vote for the opponent.

Could the Republican voters have actually remained in support of Stevens and Young and were angry at the witch hunt (Palin pun kind of intended) against the 2 long serving Congressmen?

“Given that interest in this election could not, under any circumstances, have ever been greater this year than it was in other years, it’s almost inconceivable to imagine that the number of votes cast would drop” from 2004.  “It smells to me like you had a really, really, really weird turnout where all the Palin mothers and all the Ted Stevens supporters came flooding en masse out of the woodwork to make a point, and the Dems somehow sat on their hands and enjoyed the presidential news as it filtered up from the Lower 48 through the day,” David Dittman, Alaska pollster said.

Dittman predicted as the polls closed that Begich would beat Stevens by 8 points while Berkowitz would beat Young by 7. Instead, both Begich and Berkowitz trail the incumbents nearly a week later. And Young’s lead over Berkowitz is quite large.

How could he have been so wrong? Dittman has been forecasting Alaskan elections for 38 years!

“Afterward, you look at it and say, ‘Holy cow! How could I have seen this coming?” said Dittman.

“I thought it was a mistake on the screen. I was totally surprised. I thought the state had made a mistake and had the candidates reversed,” he said.

We’ve seen strange results in elections for a number of years starting with Florida in 2000. Saxby Chambliss beat incumbent Max Cleland 6 years ago with questionable results. And the John Kerry loss in 2004 is a strange one as well.

And if you weren’t totally convinced that something was afoul, Alaska ballots are counted by Diebold.

Palin has gone back to her governor’s office with whatever Neiman Marcus clothes she could hide – as long as it wasn’t the Michael Jackson Thriller jacket – but the nation will be watching what comes out of the Stevens and Young races.

For more information on the races in Alaska visit:

Shannyn Moore – an Alaskan blogger

Brad Friedman at BradBlog

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Posted in Democrats, Election 2008, McCain - Palin, Politics, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Uncategorized

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The ultimate joy ride

Posted on November 6, 2008 | 4 Comments

Our new president-elect and vice president-elect look pretty happy.  And who can blame them?

Good thing there are lids on their coffees. 

By the way, isn’t that Sarah Palin in that Coach store?

obama_driving

{If you see this picture without animation, click on the picture.}

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Posted in Barack Obama, Democrats, Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Obama - Biden, Politics, Uncategorized

Florida: Vote No on 2!

Posted on October 31, 2008 | 3 Comments

Florida will be voting on November 4th to ban same-sex marriage.  Under the ridiculous name of ‘Florida Marriage Protection Amendment’ this constitutional amendment will specifically discriminate against gays and lesbians.  In addition, it will also discriminate against seniors and other heterosexual couples who choose to live together rather than marry.

So whose marriage are they protecting? 

Imagine if there was an amendment on the November ballot called Florida Home Ownership Protection Amendment that defines home ownership as the legal contract of a white married couple.  This would ban the following groups from home ownership:  African-Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans.  Oh yeah, unmarried whites would also be banned from home ownership.

Who could forget this from Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution? 

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.

This was remedied by Amendment 14 which was ratified in 1868.

The 15th Amendment (ratified 1870) granted blacks the right to vote:

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

And women were given their right to vote fifty years later:

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

It’s hard to believe that in the 21st century we’d be taking such a turn back towards close-mindedness.  This is discrimination any way you look at it.

The Florida Marriage Protection Amendment is solely trying to ‘protect’ the word marriage for bigoted heterosexual couples. 

As a result of this amendment and others like it around the country, gay and lesbian couples will be denied some of the basic rights that heterosexual couples take for granted – like hospital visitation and health benefits.

Not one newspaper in the state endorses this amendment. 

Same-sex marriage is already illegal in the state of Florida, so what is the real purpose of this bill?  I’d say it is two-fold.  First, there is a possibility that the Supreme Court would rule that banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional so placing an amendment like this one into the constitution would make overturning this ban more difficult.  We’re really going out of our way to make sure that we lock in discrimination.  Makes you proud to be a Floridian, doesn’t it?

The other reason this amendment is on the ballot is to get all the intolerant religious zealots and homophobic bigots out to the precincts on Election Day.  This will help the Republicans who pathetically are proud to call these cretins their base.

Any politician who has endorsed this discriminatory amendment is either a religious zealot, a homophobic bigot or a coward who is afraid to stand up to their political base.

We’ve been cleaning discrimination from our laws since the Civil War.  I cannot believe that we are voting to add an amendment like this to our laws.  Today, we are targeting gays and lesbians.  What’s tomorrow?  Hispanics?  Asians?  Catholics?  Jews?  Liberals?  Conservatives?  You?

We are better than this!  

Florida is better than this! 

America is better than this! 

Vote NO on 2!

 

Websites: 

Say No 2

Fairness for all Families

 

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Posted in Democrats, Election 2008, Politics, Republicans, Uncategorized

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Farts can lower your blood pressure

Posted on October 28, 2008 | 2 Comments

From the ‘I swear I’m not making this up’ file.

For years, I have been sitting at my office and my co-worker has been letting go. And not just regular farts but ones so horrific that tears would form in my eyes as I would grasp for air praying for a clean breath. His argument for sharing the putrid offense was that he had hypertension and it was great for his blood pressure.

Turns out, my co-worker had been telling me the truth.

The unpleasant aroma of the gas, called hydrogen sulfide (H2S), can be a little too familiar, as it is expelled by bacteria living in the human colon and eventually makes its way, well, out.

The new research found that cells lining mice’s blood vessels naturally make the gas and this action can help keep the rodents’ blood pressure low by relaxing the blood vessels to prevent hypertension (high blood pressure). This gas is “no doubt” produced in cells lining human blood vessels too, the researchers said.

“Now that we know hydrogen sulfide’s role in regulating blood pressure, it may be possible to design drug therapies that enhance its formation as an alternative to the current methods of treatment for hypertension,” said Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Solomon H. Snyder, M.D., a co-author of the study detailed in the Oct. 24th issue of the journal Science.

I picked up 2 amazing facts in the above 3 paragraphs.

First, there are scientists that observe and measure farts produced by mice.

Second, they are planning on designing a drug that will help my co-worker and others like him to produce more farts. And the way I am interpreting this article, not just regular farts – but of the all terrifying ‘silent-but-deadly’ variety.

From the article: “A smelly rotten-egg gas in farts controls blood pressure in mice, a new study finds.”

Didn’t I also recently read that the methane produced from moose farts is a major contributor to Global Warming? Kill the planet – save a life. I’m just saying.

The article caught my attention because the title ‘The Stink in Farts Controls Blood Pressure’ seemed more like something from The Onion than from LiveScience.

And now I know why kids don’t have high blood pressure. There is nothing you can do to stop them from letting ‘em rip. They love cutting farts. Now we can encourage people to be themselves.

Now, does this mean that we’ll need to set up Farting Zones in restaurants, airports and the workplace? I can picture the annual physicals at my doctor’s office. I’ll have blood, urine and farting tests. Turn your head and fart.

The full article includes quite a bit of scientific information, but my mind couldn’t get past the thought of thousands of people on this drug therapy cutting ghastly farts everywhere I went. I know that’s a tad immature, as I’m not thinking of the long-term benefits, but whenever I get a whiff of the sulphur farts, my mind thinks of little else.

Hydrogen sulfide is the most recently discovered member of a family of gasotransmitters, small molecules inside our bodies with important physiological functions.

This study is the first to reveal that the CSE enzyme that triggers hydrogen sulfide is activated itself in the same way as other enzymes when they trigger their respective gasotransmitter, such as a nitric oxide-forming enzyme that also regulates blood pressure, Dr. Snyder said.

Because gasotransmitters are common in mammals all over the evolutionary tree, these findings on the importance of hydrogen sulfide are thought to have broad applications to human diseases, such as diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases.

I was supposed to learn here that releasing these gasotransmitters, we could one day see a reduction of hypertension, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. But all my mind got out of this was that SBD’s (silent-but-deadly farts) are common to all mammals.

I’m guessing the product that will be welcomed by the public once this drug therapy is released is one that deadens our sense of smell or a product that you rub just below your nostrils that blocks the fart smell and may even offer scented varieties – like new car smell.

The other item that caught my attention in this article was “the research was supported by grants from the U.S. Public Health Service and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research as well as a Research Scientist Award.”

In other words, three research centers cooperated in funding this grant. That would mean that these 3 research centers had to review a request to fund the study of noxious farting by mice in order to reduce blood pressure.

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Posted in Humor, Uncategorized

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When did I become a pessimist?

Posted on October 23, 2008 | Leave a comment

I will never say that I was an optimist but I was certainly not a pessimist. I always saw myself as sort of a realist. The only times I have leaned toward the pessimist’s point-of-view are during critical moments of a sports playoff game or when I gamble and I notice a negative trend starting.

But in politics? It is unheard of. It might have to do with watching the 2000 election being called for Democrat Al Gore only to be reversed moments later – in my home state. It may have to do with the polls and then the exit polls in 2004 showing that Democrat John Kerry was going to win the election only to find out that Bush won again.

Every poll in this election shows that, at the very worst, Democrat Barack Obama will win the presidential election against Republican John McCain. Many Electoral College polls predict an Obama landslide. Gambling site, Intrade, predicts a 364 – 174 victory for Obama and fivethirtyeight scores it 344.8 to 193.2 for Obama. They also say that there is a 93.4% chance that Obama will win. Intrade has it 86.9 for Obama and the trends are continuing towards Obama. The 3 site maps on my side bar all show Obama with a commanding lead.

So why am I still nervous? Why aren’t I dancing in the streets? Why am I so pessimistic thinking that somehow, someway Obama will still lose this election?

Then I saw the article ‘Democrats’ gloom deepens’ in Politico. The first paragraph sums it up for me, the political pessimist. “The Democrats are poised on the brink of victory. And they cannot stand it. The news is too good. Something has to go wrong.”

After reading this article, my apprehension all makes sense. I am a political pessimist because I have seen this game before.

Read full Politico article below the fold

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Posted in Barack Obama, Democrats, Election 2008, John McCain, McCain - Palin, Obama - Biden, Politics, Republicans, Uncategorized

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Voter problems – Videoing your vote

Posted on October 22, 2008 | Leave a comment

Expectations are high that there will be problems at voting precincts on the day of the election.  Early voting states are already reporting problems. 

West Virginia:  Numerous people, voting on touch screen machines, have claimed that they attempted to vote for Obama – Biden only to have McCain – Palin selected as their choice.  This issue was also highly reported in 2004 on touch screens.  Interestingly all reports were from people who attempted to vote for the Democratic candidate, John Kerry, only to see their vote come up for George Bush.  Not one instance in 2004 nor so far in 2008 have come up the other way.  I find that curious. 

Does it appear that Homer Simpson attempted to vote in West Virginia?

Colorado:  If reports are true, more than 10 million voters have been purged from rolls across the United States between 2004 an 2006 based on questionable grounds.   In Colorado, Republican secretary of state, Donetta Davidson – who has since been appointed by George Bush to the Election Assistance Commission – and her successor Republican Mike Coffman oversaw the purging of almost one-sixth of Colorado’s registered voters.  They’ll be sure to have a surprise when they attempt to vote.

The Denver Post recently ran a story where Coffman rejected claims of voter purging, yet he didn’t dispute the claims on an individual basis.  He admitted that 2,454 voters had been purged within 90 days of an election and Coffman is determining whether this violates federal law.

Four thousand voters were given bad information, thus they won’t appear on the rolls.  Coffman admits that this is the fault of his office.  Another 37,000 were removed during a 3-week period in July which exceeds the number of deaths and people moving out of Colorado.

Where voter registration for this election is at an all-time high, how can Colorado see a net loss of 100,000 voters since 2004?  There is much more to this story – Colorado disputes voter purge.

Florida:  After the 2000 debacle of the ‘hanging chads’, Florida quickly implemented the touch screen voting machines which brought in a new wave of problems.  The biggest complaint is that these machines did not provide a paper trail so there was no way to verify the accuracy of the counting of the votes.  It also prevented any chance of a recount and put control of our elections into the company that provided the machines.

This year, the touch screen voting is gone.  Now, many will have to bubble their selections directly on the ballot.  Once completed, the voter inserts the ballot into a machine which counts the votes.  This will open up an entire new slew of issues.  First of all, since these are new voting procedures, there will invariably be delays causing people to leave rather than wait.  Second, paper being inserted into a machine ultimately jams, causing delays and possibly lost votes.

What you can do:  One of the thoughts I had was to go to the precinct near my home ready to tape anything that looked suspicious.  If theft was occurring, I’m sure everything was being done to prevent anyone from capturing it.  As it turns out, you cannot bring video equipment into the polling place in many locations, which is exactly where all the problems are occurring. 

But if someone is disenfranchised, they will come out of the polling place angry.   So if you follow the rules, you may be able to get an interview with a disenfranchised voter.  Watch this video:  Videoing your vote.

 

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Posted in Barack Obama, Democrats, Election 2008, John McCain, McCain - Palin, Obama - Biden, Politics, Republicans, Steal Back Your Vote, Uncategorized

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All McCain has left is theft

Posted on October 22, 2008 | Leave a comment

Watch this video from TPMTV and you will see just how difficult a task it is for John McCain to win this election fairly.  As it stands, Barack Obama should easily have 252 electoral votes which would be the same states won by John Kerry in 2004. 

Add Iowa and Obama is up to 259.  It has been reported that McCain has conceded Colorado and New Mexico.  If that is true, then this puts Obama over the top.

That means if McCain wins every other battleground state, most of which he currently trails, he still would lose this election.  The only option that would leave is McCain winning a solid Obama state. 

In order for McCain to win, he would either have to win Pennsylvania (a state McCain is heavily targeting and trailing) or Virginia and, say, New Hampshire.

 

 

Realistically, this would leave theft as the only viable option available for a McCain victory.  (We can also add scare tactics as McCain is obviously intent on making us scared of Barack Obama.)  Reports of problems are already coming in from early voting sites which I will address in an upcoming post. 

To get a heads up, go to Steal Back Your Vote – a site by Greg Palast and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  The two wrote an article for this week’s Rolling Stone magazine called Block the Vote.  This is mandatory reading. 

Watch this report by Greg Palast from Democracy Now! 

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Posted in Democrats, Election 2008, McCain - Palin, Obama - Biden, Politics, Republicans, Steal Back Your Vote, Uncategorized

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Stealing the vote – A look at the fraud

Posted on October 16, 2008 | Leave a comment

We’ve been hearing a lot about voter fraud the last week or so from the GOP.   The accusations they have presented are not examples of voter fraud.  It is important for us to understand what the various methods are to fraudulently alter the election results and why they are being done to block our vote.

Voter fraud:

It seems as though this term is the catch-all for anything related to rigging / stealing an election.  Voter fraud, simply put, is fraud committed by a voter.  Examples are: 

·          Voting as someone else.   We’ve all heard charges of dead people voting.  Registering as Mickey Mouse isn’t voter fraud – attempting to vote as Mickey Mouse is.

·          Paying someone for their vote, which works best with absentee ballots. 

·          Voting more than one time – usually in different districts or states. 

·          In some cases, it is illegal for convicted felons to vote.  Their voting rights are not restored following their prison term.  I’ll be addressing the Florida situation in a separate post.

·          Voting in a district other than the one you should be voting in.  The best example of this is conservative pundit, Ann Coulter, who in Palm Beach County was charged with knowingly attempting to vote in the incorrect district in 2006 which is a felony.  Read the Fox News story. 

 

Voter Registration Fraud:

This is the act of submitting fraudulent voter registration forms.  Of course, we’ve all heard about ACORN by now.  Fox News, John McCain and the rest of the Republican machine have been repeating these talking points for days.  Mickey Mouse has registered to vote.  Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo has registered to vote in Nevada along with many of his teammates.

Actually, the person or people who have submitted these forms to ACORN are the ones guilty of voter registration fraud.  The law states that all registration forms that have been submitted to groups, like ACORN, must be submitted to the elections administration office.  By submitting the forms, ACORN was following the election law. 

ACORN generally employs poorer people to sign up people to vote.  They are paid for each form they submit.  This is hard work and some of these people are looking for an easy way to collect money.  If ACORN actually paid these people for the fraudulent forms, ACORN would actually be classified as a victim as people had stolen money from them.

ACORN reviews the forms they receive and flags any that appear bogus.  They then submit the forms to the election administration office as required by law, including the fraudulent registration forms flagged for review.

For more on this story, read Republicans Raise red flag over voter fraud.  The third paragraph supports what I have stated here.

In 2004, Sproul and Associates was under investigation in Nevada and Oregon for illegally tossing voter registration cards submitted by Democrats.  This is an example of an organization involved in voter registration fraud.  Read the full story here.

 

Election Fraud:

Election fraud is a scheme to manipulate the election results.  Since 2000, we have heard endless methods of how the Republican Party has orchestrated election fraud in key battleground states.

One methodology is by disenfranchising the electorate.  There are many ways to accomplish this and I’m only going to mention some.

·          In Ohio, in 2004, certain precincts were provided too few voting machines for the number of people registered to vote.  Of course, this was in African-American precincts which are predominately Democratic.   This creates longer lines causing people who can not wait, to leave rather than vote.  Some precincts reported waits of up to 8 hours.

·          Poll watchers challenging voters at the precinct.  This serves multiple purposes.  It slows down the election process generating longer lines.  The voters who have been challenged have the option of voting on a provisional ballot – most of which never get counted.  Some voters who witness others being challenged may get leery thus leave without ever voting.

In 2000, Republican operatives embarked on South Florida in an effort to delay and prevent a full recount from occurring before the required deadline.  There are many articles, books and now a movie which detail the events of the 2000 election.  Then-Republican Secretary of State and Florida campaign manager for George W. Bush, Katherine Harris was charged with preventing an Al Gore victory.  At the end of the day, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that there shall be no recount in Florida, thus handing the presidency to Bush.

Stuffing ballot boxes:  This was best exemplified during the 1960 election between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon.  Charges had been raised by both parties that the results of the election in Chicago and Texas were altered by ‘stuffing of the ballot boxes.’ 

Black Box Voting – it is possible to alter the results of an election very simply.  Watch Bev Harris from Black Box Voting.org show Howard Dean how easily election results can be altered. 

 

Fraud Sources

There are many more examples of election fraud and there are some excellent sources out there to get more information.

The Brad Blog – This is probably my favorite site for voter, voter registration and election fraud information.  If you have time, read up on the Clint Curtis / Tom Feeney story.  Brad Friedman has also done an incredible job reporting about ACORN. 

Greg Palast – Palist is an investigative journalist who has been on top of this since 2000.  His book ‘The Best Democracy Money Can Buy’ was an extremely informative read.  It covered much more than the 2000 election but his reporting about the caging lists was unmatched. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  – Has written many articles about this subject.  His 2 articles in 2006 for Rolling Stone were amazing – Was the 2004 Election Stolen? and Will the Next Election Be Hacked?  and are definitely worth the read.

Palast and Kennedy have teamed up on Steal Back Your Vote which provides great information on what we can do to prevent a reoccurrence of the thefts of the past.  The comic book is available for download and a video is coming soon.

Black Box Voting.org – Bev Harris has been a champion of this cause.  You may have seen her in the HBO Documentary – Hacking Democracy.  On her site, there is a book called ‘Black Box Voting’ which is available for download.  Her site becomes an incredible source around each election.  Here is a new video put out by Harris.

Black Box Voting.com – This site is not affiliated with Bev Harris’s site.  You can download the ‘Black Box Voting’ book here as well.  Apparently the 2 sites have had a falling out and have continued as 2 separate sites. 

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Posted in Barack Obama, Democrats, Election 2008, John McCain, McCain - Palin, Obama - Biden, Politics, Republicans, Steal Back Your Vote, Uncategorized

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What if McCain loses his temper at the debate?

Posted on October 15, 2008 | 2 Comments

John McCain has a history of losing his temper. He was on the irritable side during the first debate and sneeringly called Barack Obama ‘That One’ in the second. Recently, he’s shown hints of his temper during interviews since his poll numbers began to dive.

I’ve been wondering how it would go if McCain lost his temper and his composure during the debate and tried to take a swing at Obama. Would it cost McCain the election because he lost his temper and resorted to violence or would it generate sympathy votes because Obama would be accused by the right as beating up a defenseless old man?

I recalled the last time that a senior citizen took on a younger, in-shape man. The wedge between the Democratic and Republican Parties are as great as the rivalry in these pictures between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.

Here John McCain (played by Yankees coach, Don Zimmer) charges Barack Obama (played by Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez). It looks like Obama is trying to hold off McCain.

Obama appears to push McCain to the ground. Of course, McCain could have just lost his footing.

McCain dives head-first into the ground.  Was Obama’s left cross the cause?  Is that what we’re calling Fighting the Smears?

Here McCain (still played by Zimmer) is being tended to in the ambulance following the altercation.

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Posted in Barack Obama, Democrats, Election 2008, Humor, John McCain, McCain - Palin, Obama - Biden, Politics, Republicans, Uncategorized

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Levi Johnston speaks about Palin, marriage and more

Posted on October 13, 2008 | 2 Comments

This is the most bizarre article I’ve read in quite some time.  Levi Johnston finally breaks his silence and discusses his upcoming marriage to Bristol Palin, his soon-to-be fatherhood, his future mother-in-law and Barack Obama. 

Author Adam Goldman wrote this for the Associate Press, but it reminded me of a fluff magazine article that a public relations person organized for a celebrity who need to improve his image.  This article has a happy feel-good angle to it, which just doesn’t sit right. 

Levi Johnston, who’s having a baby with Gov. Sarah Palin’s daughter, can’t believe all the things he’s hearing.

No, he wasn’t held against his will on the campaign trail. No, he’s not being forced into a shotgun wedding with 17-year-old Bristol Palin.

“None of that’s true,” Johnston, 18, said in a rare interview with The Associated Press. “We both love each other. We both want to marry each other. And that’s what we are going to do.”

Standing in the driveway of his family home in this small Alaska town, Johnston spoke about the rumors swirling around him.

The soft-spoken teenager discussed his relationship with Palin and how life has changed with fatherhood fast approaching. He agreed to talk despite the presidential campaign’s advice in the days following Gov. Sarah Palin’s nomination to avoid the media.

“They’re not telling me anything right now,” Johnston said as he checked his Blackberry. “It’s pretty chill.”

Truth be told, there are far worse things that could happen to an 18-year old high school dropout.  Seriously.  He’ll be marrying into a family that does have money, even though we are being led to believe that the Palin’s are in the same financial stratosphere as most small town Americans.  They also have power.  Regardless of what happens in this election, Palin is still the governor of Alaska and in case of defeat, a strong contender for the GOP nomination in 2012.

Not surprisingly, Johnston was a little shocked when he learned about Bristol’s pregnancy, but he says he quickly embraced the prospects of fatherhood. The baby is due Dec. 18. Johnston has dropped out of high school to take a job on the North Slope oil fields as an apprentice electrician.

Johnston hinted he’s expecting a boy, but he declined to discuss baby names.

“I’m looking forward to having him,” he said. “I’m going to take him hunting and fishing. He’ll be everywhere with me.”

Johnston was ‘a little shocked.’  Only a little shocked? 

When you ask a man about his future son, they always say ‘I’m going to play ball with him.’  That is actually something I find interesting about Alaskans.  Johnston will take his son hunting and fishing. 

Johnston, a Wasilla heartthrob, said he wanted to set the record straight.

For starters, he said his much-maligned MySpace page was a joke — the one that claimed he said: “I’m a … redneck,” and “I don’t want kids.” Johnston said his friends created the page a few years ago and he had nothing to do with it.

Goldman referred to Johnston as ‘a Wasilla heartthrob.’  This supports my theory that this is a PR piece in order to try to make this marriage more of a warm, touching, all-American story.  ‘The teen heartthrob and the governor’s daughter.’  Awwww.

With regards to the MySpace page:  I saw it when the rumors of the boyfriend began.  I wish I would have copied it because they were stunning.  Having 2 high school children, I had spent my time reviewing MySpace pages of my kids, their friends, and their friends’ friends.  With child predators out there, I wanted to make sure that my kids weren’t going to fall prey to the worst in society. 

But that is off-the-point.  I have read some kids’ pages that sounded like that.  It was beat-the-chest tough guy talk.   Like, I mentioned, I saw his page and I have to say that it really did come off as thug-like but I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he was messing around with the page creating that tough persona.

Johnston said he has dated Palin since his freshman year in high school.

“We were planning on getting married a long time ago with or without the kid,” he said. “That was the plan from the start.”

While Johnston provided few details about next summer’s wedding, the planning has started: A cousin will likely be his best man, and he has asked two hockey buddies, Ben Barber and Dane Wilson, to be groomsmen.

Barber doesn’t think anyone pressured Johnston into marriage.

“If he thought it wasn’t the right thing to do he probably wouldn’t do it,” he said.

I have to say, that I am surprised this section even made it past an editor.  In fact, like I’ve said, this shouldn’t even be an AP story but a People magazine piece.

Johnston is an avid hunter. He’s dark haired, tall and muscular, sports a bit of stubble and drives a red Chevy Silverado truck. He’d be the perfect cover for Field & Stream.

He’s bagged bears, sheep, elk, and caribou. Some of the antlers are scattered about his yard. Last July on a caribou hunt he lost a “promise” ring that Palin had given him. He said he decided to tattoo her name on the finger and not bother with more rings because he’d just lose them anyway.

How endearing.  Without question, these are my favorite 2 paragraphs in this story.  It’s almost as if Goldman has a crush on Johnston.  “He’s dark haired, tall and muscular, sports a bit of stubble and drives a red Chevy Silverado truck.” 

I’ve seen the video of McCain meeting Johnston.  This description comes off as pure fantasy. 

 

“He’s bagged bear, sheep, elk and caribou.”  I love Goldman’s use of ‘bagged.’

The antlers scattered about his yard is reminiscent of when I’ve white water rafted in North Carolina and Tennessee and saw appliances in the yard. 

Goldman’s addition of the tattoo of love touched me and brought a tear to my eye. 

Johnston said he wasn’t forced to campaign with Palin’s mother. Bristol Palin invited him and Johnston jumped at the chance. It was a whirlwind experience for Johnston, who was seated with the Palins at the Republican National Convention.

“At first, I was nervous,” he said. “Then I was like, ‘Whatever.’”

While Barber said his friend is a celebrity now, Johnston said it hasn’t changed him.

“I’m still the same old boy,” said Johnston. “I’m just a workin’ man.”

Johnston is just a “workin’ man.”  Actually he was a student.  Now he is a high school dropout forced out of school because he got his teenage girlfriend pregnant.  This story would have such a different spin if it was a Democratic VP candidate.  

I’m not posting this to judge Johnston, which is why I refrained from posting about his MySpace page earlier.  I read this article and was taken by the spin Goldman put on this.  It is disgraceful that the AP released this rather than sell it to US magazine.

And now he’s also about to become a family man.

“We’re up for it. I’m excited to have my first kid. It’s going to be a lot of hard work but we can handle it.”

Wasilla hockey coach Bill Sturdevant, who was invited to the wedding, said he was sorry to hear Johnston wasn’t going to return for his senior year of high school. But he said he believes Johnston, a talented hockey player, will find his way.

“He’s a tough kid,” Sturdevant said. “He’s taking everything in stride.”

How early did they send out invitations?  The article stated that the wedding will be next summer, though I had read earlier that it was going to occur just before the election. 

Notice how coach Sturdevant suggests that Johnston will ‘find his way.’  That implies that Johnston is not anywhere near what is claimed in this article. 

“He’s taking everything in stride.”  Is the coach referring to the wedding, the baby, the race to the White House, the new-found fame or fact that he had to drop-out of school to take a job?  I wonder what Johnston’s parents are saying about all of this.  He’s 18.  If my 18-year old son was in this situation, you better be sure that I’ll have something to say about it as would his mother. 

What about Johnston’s politics?

The young man said he wasn’t an expert on politics by any stretch. Asked about Barack Obama, he replied: “I don’t know anything about him. He seems like a good guy. I like him.”

“He wasn’t an expert on politics by any stretch.”  Just like his future mother-in-law?  (Okay, I know that was a cheap shot.)

He doesn’t know anything about Obama.  Nice job with that talking point.   He likes him?  His future mother-in-law implies that she is scared of him.  Oh, oh.  Wonder what the campaign will say about this?

But Johnston still rooting for John McCain and Sarah Palin.

“I just hope she wins,” he said. “She’s my future mother-in-law. She better win.”

Isn’t that sweet? 

To read Johnston speaks on Bristol Palin, Obama and baby

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Posted in Barack Obama, Democrats, Election 2008, John McCain, McCain - Palin, Obama - Biden, Politics, Republicans, Sarah Palin, Uncategorized

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