We're Bringing The Troops Home and - as a Republican - I'm Glad

They told me, if Barack Obama were elected President - then our troops would come home.

There were right and I am so glad. I know it sounds strange coming from a Republican; but this mission has become an unmanageable quagmire.

For too long, our forces have been mired in an area where they were mitigating for poor governance by local officials who could provide neither security nor infrastructure, who depended on outside aid and cared more about how to get theirs from graft and corruption then they did for hard-working people they governed. At the beginning of the mission - which was taken unilaterially without broad-based international support - we thought our troops would only be there for a few months at most; but the mission lasted years and depended heavily on National Guard forces.

Election 2010 Has Begun

Well boys and girls the 2010 campaign has begun.

Last night I was coming home from picking up something at the store for dinner when a political commercial came on the radio.

I didn't catch the guy's name but it was for District 12 NC House [ William Wainwright's seat]. I think it is the same guy that just ran against Wainwright and lost.

First he said all of our financial problems was the fault of the democrats. Then they played some tropical music and said that Bev Purdue was on vacation and then gave her office phone number and asked people to call and tell her to get back to work cutting taxes and spending.

I see a trend developing from local radio, to talk radio, all the way to Fox noise.
TELL THE BIG LIE, tell it early, tell it often. Then repeat.

This from the party that ran on the slogan,

COUNTRY FIRST

Response to the Response

For several days I have been wondering how to respond to Bobby Jindal's speech the other night. I think this says it all..

Rep. Virginia Foxx Blames Mortgage Crisis on Welfare Mentality

As I sat and listened to the debate on H.R. 1106 on Thursday, I could not believe my ears. North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx blamed the mortgage crisis on the welfare mentality of dishonest borrowers who never intended to pay the money back. I have never been so ashamed of something that I personally did not say or do. It was disheartening to hear such bigotry come from a North Carolina representative to congress.

Fortunately, Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida set Foxx straight.

Is ElectriCities getting the Message? Posh Parties, More Debt, Improprieties

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/news/electricities-pulls-plug-on-posh-retreat-459406.html?showComm...

So they pulled the plug on the posh party. But you have to read the comments and the article. Staff thinks ratepayers do not pick up the tab for their city staff and officials registration. Board Members just now figured out paying for Golf may not be so smart. And the east finally realized they will be seen "in bad light" if they go off to party.

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/news/new-electric-rates-rankle-city-residents-452025.html#comments

New allegations have surfaced that there has been lobbying deals between ElectriCities and Dominion as a result of personal loans between the lobbyists.
The Electricities lobbyist has a child who worked for two ElectriCities-paid lobbyists, a Governor campaign, and Speaker Morgan.
Lobbying improprieties have been alleged about Drew Saunders.

Save Our Family Homes Act is not a Bailout

As debate on the Save Our Family Homes Act of 2009 or H.R. 1106 heated up on Thursday, House Republicans spun one lie after another in an attempt to turn the bill into something it is not. Some of the biggest lies were told by North Carolina's own congresswoman, Rep. Virginia Foxx. At times I couldn't tell if her lies were intentional or she really is that stupid. Now we need to set the record straight.

Options for violence

Obama said from the beginning of his campaign that he would expand the war in Afghanistan. Anyone who thought he would do otherwise is either hiding under a rock or a Republican. Some of us continue to work on changing his mind. The US could spend another trillion fighting this next new war, and maybe win the illusion of stability for a while. Would that be a good investment?

Bush's war in Iraq should have never been fought. There is no disagreement among honest people about that. It was a spectacular waste of political and economic capital. I believe the same is true in Afghanistan.

Is "war" really the solution to the problem the US is trying to solve? If our country is going to do violence (and we appear hell-bent on that), what are our standards and values? Do it surgically, ruthlessly, quickly? Publicly, visibly? With massive collateral damage? Subsidize the arms industry? Should we really fight the long war when one assassin's bullet might do the job?

BlueNC