Ronald Reagan - A President For The People

It is with deep sadness and regret that I report the passing of a legend both on AND off screen. On the big screen AND the small screen. In Hollywood AND in Washington D.C.

MANY actors in Hollywood have played the role of the President, but only ONE actor can lay claim to BEING the President.

That actor is NONE OTHER than Ronald Reagan

Photo Courtesy of The White House

Reagan came in at a time when America was struggling to make ends meet. In MANY parts, lines of cars (some MILES long) were forming - JUST TO GET A GALLON OF GAS. Gas prices were soaring out of control, the economy had a bleak future, the Space Shuttle program was just getting started, and over 400 people were being held hostage in a country hardly ANYONE knew existed.

I vividly recall the plane that carried the hostages touching down on American soil the day after he was initially sworn into office. I was only a budding teenager then, but it was a piece of history I'll NEVER forget. He didn't even say a word (much less make an agreement), but the Arabs saw something in him that we Americans (both Democrats and Republicans alike) was just discovering.

He was a man of peace.

Not only was he a man of peace, he was also a man of his word. When he said he would get something done, by golly HE MEANT IT. Not only did he mean it, he also DID IT.

In this respect, he was also a DOer.

Come Election time in 1984, we Liberals were hard pressed to find ANY weaknesses in ANYTHING he did. Try as we did, we just couldn't do it. Even *I* voted for him (and I was a registered Democrat), even though I knew almost NOTHING about the political arena as a whole (I was only 18 at the time and was voting in my first election).

Some would say that it's because of him that the "trickle down economics" policy became a Republican standard. To that I say it was the shot in the arm this country needed back in 1980. He almost single-handedly (and quite LITERALLY) turned the economy of this country around. It was, in part, because of HIS work that made the '80s as memorable as they were.

He also introduced the political concept of NOT using mudslinging or name-calling during his campaigns. This, I believe, is what made him identifiable with the average Joe (or in our case, the average Pat :)).

He even got the attention of (then-communist) Russia and Germany. He was the driving force in their capitulation to diplomacy and democracy. This especially rang true in his famous "Tear Down These Walls" speech in 1987 which could only be compared to JFK's "I Am A Berliner" speech back in the 1960s.

In popularity, he was equal to JFK. Some hardcore conservatives would say he was BETTER, but in terms of overall popularity, both among americans AND foreigners alike, he was equal.

If I had describe Ronald Reagan in only a single sentence, it would be this....

He was A PRESIDENT FOR THE PEOPLE.

Not just Democrats or Republicans (or even Americans for that matter!). He was a President who represented ALL people. You could say he was a "People's Choice".

Unfortunately, this is something which has sadly become lost in today's political world. Now, it's about who has the most $$$. And it's NOT just Republicans. It's Democrats too.

And if EITHER party expects to have a chance of SHUTTING OUT people like Ralph Nader, we need to CLEAN OUT THE RUBBISH.

If that means GETTING RID OF BUSH, then SO BE IT.

It is MY hope that the death of this legend will serve as a WAKE UP CALL to those in Washington (and those running for office in the upcoming Election).

If the politicians don't listen TODAY, people aren't gonna care WHO is running for office TOMORROW because WE ALL will be FED UP with all the BULLSHIT that's called "politics".

R.I.P Ronald Reagan. You will be SORELY missed. :(

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is today's Real Deal.

Cheers for now :)

Pat

CONGRATULATIONS WASHINGTON: We're Now OFFICIALLY In Debt Up To Our Eyeballs

The Republicans got their way again by approving (as
well as browbeating us Liberals AGAIN ) King George's wish to have 2.4
TRILLION DOLLARS, most (if not all) of which will be used in the War in
Iraq, even though his majesty nor his henchmen will NEVER admit it.

Sure it still has to pass the Senate, but let's face it, given how corrupt
our government is, this is only a formality and merely symbolic.
I fully expect the bill to be on his majesty's desk by the end of next
month.

GOD I CAN'T WAIT TILL NOVEMBER!!!!

Those Republicans Sure LOVE Their Name-Calling, Don't They?

ello everyone....

Welcome to my little corner of the world where there's
just two simple rules...

1) The American Flag flies high in the sky

2). Name-calling Republicans aren't allowed

That said, it's time for today's Real Deal.

Just saw this posted on a (predominately) Conservative
group I'm in ( my so-called beloved Fox
& Friends Yahoo! Fan Club ) that just burns me up. Get a
load of THIS CRAPOLA


Said on Monday that the American Flag does not belong to Republicans. Yes the man that killed little children and raped women (well he just saw it). Is claiming the higher moral ground.

His slut daughter might be higher on something else.

You Conservatives out there must either be 1). INCREDIBLY
desperate to hang on to whatever credibility you still have left or B).
Have NO credibility whatsoever (because you lost in in the way you're handling
the War in Iraq), so you're NOW trying to use Kerry's daughter to TRUMP
UP some credibility to save what little face and dignity you have left.

You guys will stop at NOTHING will you?

Just because John Kerry is a self-admitted war criminal
DOES NOT make his daughter any less of an angel. Also, what PROOF
(since you guys on the aforementioned Fox & Friends Yahoo! Group seem
to thrive on this) do you have that CLEARLY NDICATES that John Kerry was
partisan to the raping of women? Where and when did he rape them?
How 'bout the Alleged killing of little children (which tbhis moron also
claims)? All I keep hearing about from the Kerry camp is the war crimes
(and even that is because he admits to 'em even though he's probably flipped
a few times since the 1970s). If you really wanna see ME stoop
to the level of intelligence level of the MORON who posted the above crap
in a Yahoo! forum. Let me ask you THIS....

How many people has your beloved George W. Bush (who has
proven himself to be THE sorriest excuse of a President since Nixon) killed
during HIS military days?

I probably bet you don't even wanna go ANYWHERE NEAR THAT,
do you?

All you idiots seem to care about is that he served his
country. Maybe THAT is why you have a prison abuse scandal in Iraq
right now, isn't it?

You might be able to cast me off as reacting to this as
if I were old man Kennedy, but accusations like (especially those WITH
NO MERIT WHATSOEVER) can't go unnoticed. Do you Conservatives have
ANY PROOF WHATSOEVER to support your claims? If not, if you Conservatives
Republicans really want to keep what little dignity you have left,
you had best better SHUT THE FUCK UP!!

Hmmmm....Why do I get the feeling that Kerry and Bush
won't be the only ones going toe-to-toe?

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is today's Real Deal.

Debut Of NEW "Real Deal" Fromat & Same Sex Marriages

Okay....Now that my head has FINALLY stopped spinning
from all the political chaos caused by the Republicans (namely the Bush
Administration) and other things in the news that doesn't make much sense,
I can now blog about it.

But before I do that, let me preface it by announcing that from here
on out that, beginning with this entry, my blog has been reformatted
to be modeled much like Joe's "Real Deal" on Scarborough
Country As needed, I'll mix it in with the format from the old radio
show Bill Stern's Sports Newsreel as well by labeling each take
I have in a particular blog entry Real Deal 1, Real Deal 2, Real Deal
3 etc....etc Sometimes I may only have one "Real Deal"
in one post while at others I may have more than one, hence the incorporation
of the aforementioned old radio show as part of the new format.

In other words, think of it as the Liberal version of Bill O'Reilly's
"Talking Points Memo" which you see so many Conservative bloggers try to
clone. Sorry Bill, I've tried swallowing your style, but it's just
lost it's flavor. :-(

That.being said, GET READY my fellow Liberal siblings as we're about
to give our obviously CLUELESS Conservative counterparts a ride down the
Information SuperHighway they'll NEVER forget because we're about
to go into today's Real Deal. NO PASSING GO.
NO COLLECTING $200. AND ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY **NO**
BAILING OUT ALLOWED!!!! :-)

Today's Real Deal- Same Sex Marriages

It is of little secret by now that President Bush wants to "preserve
the sanctity of marriage" which is now legally recognized as being between
one man and one woman. Even as the rest of the world, includeing
celebrities such as Rosie O' Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres choose to seek out relationships with other partners of the same sex and as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and other state and local governments and the courts remain divided over the issue, the church-going Republicans want to go so far as to BAN same-sex marriages. President Bush has even gone so far as to suggest that he would actually consider an ammendment to the U.S. Constitution which would enforce this ban.

This idea is ABSOLUTELY LUDICROUS. Moreover, I am SHOCKED that
the Democrats DO NOT see this as an issue WHICH THEY CAN WIN. In fact, Presidential candidate front-runner and Senator John Kerry would rather not even discuss it (even though he has openly said he doesn't think that same sex marriages aren't very proper).

I see an issue that has divided this country so much, you can practically
DRIVE A FLEET OF TRUCKS through it.

I happen to believe the so-called "Sanctity of marriage" shouldn't neccessarily
consist of just one man and one woman. But rather, it should consist
of TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE HAPPY. If that means one man and woman, then
SO BE IT. If it means two women the SO BE IT. If it means two
men then (again!) SO BE IT.

Some so-called "experts" have even brought up the notion that two men
or two women can't conceive children. OF COURSE NOT. If God
wanted men to become pregnant and give birth to children, he would have
given us organs to do so. If God wanted women to get pregnant and
give birth to children regardless of who their sex partner was, he would've
configured a woman's organs whereas she could just that. But I don't
think this is the real issue that Republicans, the clergy and many Americans
have.

It is THE IDEA of two men or two women adopting children and raising
them. Some of THE SAME so-called "experts" have even suggested that
a same sex marriage would somehow INCREASE the number of children placed
in the adoption system should there be a seperation or divorce. My
question is HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE IF TWO PEOPLE OF THE SAME SEX CANNOT _CONCEIVE_
A CHILD IN THE FIRST PLACE????

Ohh....But the mighty Republican have an answer to that one. THEY
DO NOT increase the number of children in the system. They just return
an old one. They FORGET that the one "sanctity of marriage" which
IS capable of children (the one they are so quick to cherish) and IS recognized
everywhere is the culprit as to why our social serices system is so bogged
down.

Conservatives....Need some some clues? Stop by your neareast
Human Services, Social Services or Adoption Agency today.

Need MORE clues, then tune into an episode or two of COPS or visit your Local Police Station today and take notice of the number of DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE
calls they get. Heck, why even bother going down to the Police station?
There are a bunch of Online Police Scanners filled with all kinds of police chatter you can listen
to.

Ohh but WAIT my fellow Liberal brethren as our CLUELESS Republican counterparts
have a way of countering THAT. Some of them have probably no doubt
said that if we don't reproduce offspring, this nation won't need a war
or a nuclear weapon to kill us. We'll all be dead soon anyway and
with NO ONE around to defend America, the rest of the world can do anything
they want to us because THERE WILL BE NO AMERICA TO DEFEND. To that
I say WAK UP AND SMELL THE FUCKIN' COFFEE!!!!

WE ARE ALREADY DYING OFF. One look at the streets of Los
Angeles or New York is proof of that.

Long and short of it simple. The recognition of same sex marriages
INCREASES a child's chances of being adopted by LOVING parents by AT LEAST
DOUBLE. The aforementioned Social Services and other related agencies
have case load after case load that the so-called "convential" sanctity
IS NOT always THE BEST environment for children. and the sooner the
Republicans get that through their THICK SKULLS, the better off we'll all
be.

And that, ladies and gentlemern, is the first edition of Pat's Real
Deal.

Finally, let me wrap up by disclosing that I am NOT either gay or lesbian.
I have met some gay people (and have no doubt crossed paths with a few
lesbians in my time as well). I will admit it felt kinda awkward
at first just talking to them. But once I got to know them,
I quickly found that, other than their sexual preference, they are JUST
AS NORMAL as any reasonably minded and rationale thinking "straight" person
like myself.

Somehow this is a misgnomer some people just don't understand, so instead
of trying to understand and comphrehend it, they ASSUME the worst and will
do ANYTHING to make the rest of the world just as paranoid as they are.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a sad and tragic fact.

Just something to think about.

Cheers for now :-)

Pat

Why Wait For A Manned Trip To Mars?

I keep hearing how badly so many of my fellow Liberals
want to send President Bush to Mars when it becomes to do so.

Well....I just couldn't resist the temptation to post this (and a manned flight to Mars is such a *LONG* time to wait), so I have a better idea. *devilish grin*

We all know that the Bush clan started this whole mess with Iraq in the first place, right?

Of course we do. What if we were to MAKE IT CLEAR to the GOP that
a trip to Mars just isn't gonna happen soon enough. So instead, we'd
like to send THE ENTIRE BUSH CLAN on a ONE WAY trip - TO
IRAQ.

I mean think about the possibilities here.

* The whole clan can build and amintain a ranch somewhere on the outskirts
or Baghdad IN THE OPEN DESERT..

* George Sr. and Jr. can use their GPS receivers or other similar souvenier
gizmos they got for being President and seek out and destroy all the WEAPONS
OF MASS DESTRUCTION which are said to be in Iraq that used to belong
to Saddam Hussein, but has yet to be proven to exist. While they're
doing that, they can also TAP INTO THE IRAQI OIL RESERVES WHICH WILL
HELP REIMBURSE _OUR_ GOVERNMENT who almost had to fight this war
almost single-handedly (not to mention who could've just as single-handedly
toppled Saddam's regime in the first place!).

* Laura & Barbara Bush can have a schoolhouse built so they can
both teach all the Iraqi children their ABCs and 123s. And while
they're at it, they can also teach Iraq's adult population to "Just
Say NO" to Al Qaeda recruiters who are ALSO believed to be still in
the region.

* Jeb Bush (Remember HIM?) can be head of the hired help at the ranch.

Why do I mention Jeb Bush? Simple. At least we wouldn't
have to worry about HIM running for President in 2008 against Hilary and/or
Al (Gore not Sharpton)

DOES THIS MAKE $ENSE OR WHAT???

Comments anyone?

Cheers for now :-)

Pat

State Of The Union Address Reaction

Gee....What can I say about tonight's State
Of The Union Address? I was more or less expecting something like
a TWO TRILLION $$$ in proposed appropriations to cover the costs of a manned
space flight to Mars. But instead, I was left fumbling for words
and looking for weaknesses in his speech. Only to find there weren't
very many.

But fellow Liberal Kevin from Calpundit.com found some. He also had some advice
for the so-called "Democrats" in Washington.

However, as good as Kevin's advice is, I do have some issues with some
of the things he said about the SOTU itself. They are as follows......

6:44 — A standing O for increased support for community colleges?

Why not Kevin? A Community College is just as good as any other
college. Though I do agree with you (I assume you meant this point
even though you didn't say it in your blog) that support should be increased
across the board for all colleges and not just the "chosen
few" that "play by the rules of the GOP".

6:57 — Get rid of steroids in professional sports? What the heck
is that doing in the SOTU?

Uhh....Could it be that it's just as much of a drug problem for our
youth as it is for pro sports atheletes Kevin? Gee....I wonder.....

Okay, so I just found just those two issues (like I said, they were
minor). Now here are some things I'd like to emphasize myself......

6:48 — We can cut the deficit in half in five years, apparently by
limiting the growth in discretionary spending to 4%. This simply defies
all reason. That won't even come close to cutting the deficit in half

Add to this that President Bush wants to spend (or should I say $pend?)
THREE HUNDRED MILLION of YOUR taxpaying $$$ - FOR A PRISIONER TRANSITION
SYSTEM AS WELL AS the (reportedly) TWO TRILLION $$$ he wants for a
single
manned mission to Mars, President Bush will have become the
first
President to send America plummeting into BANKRUPTCY.

This is ON TOP OF the ONE HUNDRED TWENTY BILLION $$$ DEFICIT
we face NOW.

6:51 — Any attempt to take away Medicare prescription benefits will
"meet...my...veto." Huh? Who's proposing that? Especially given that Republicans
control both houses of Congress?

Not to mention the fact that it's been us Liberals who've been
fighting for Heath Care Reform for the last several years while
the Republicans were in a state of denial as they tried to convince (or
would the word INSULT be a better word?) Americans that Health Care didn't
need reforming. Isn't it funny how hypocritical Republicans
can be?

That being said though, I do agree with the President when he said that
"Government-Run Health Care" is the wrong prescription". Time to
get rid of the bean counter when it comes to Health Care IMO.

Overall impressions of the Democratic response — Jeez, that was just
horrible. I don't think they said a single memorable thing, their delivery
was stiff (though Daschle was better than Pelosi), they didn't really offer
any kind of competing vision, and I don't think they drew any blood at
all. What a missed opportunity.

I agree wholeheartedly Kevin. I mean WHAT WAS THAT?!?!?!?
There was NO taking the President to task. NO addrressing of the
manned mission to Marrs issue (as expected by MANY State Democratic Party
HQs INCLUDING the Colorado Democratic
Party which held an SOTU viewing party at the Denver
Press Club earlier tonight)

I was VERY disappointed in the so-called "leaderrs" of our party in
Washington. If there was a single word to describe it, that word
would be LAME LAME LAME.

NOW....MY PERSONAL MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT BUSH.....

Mr President.....With all due respect to the office you hold, I'm
afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave and do so IMMEDIATELY.

President Bush said in 2000 that he wanted to bring back honor and dignity
to the White House. But he never mentioned anything about deception.

The saga continues......

Video blog on this tomorrow (Hopefully with official video of the SOTU
and Democratic Response). It's getting late and I'm tired....*yawn*.

Cheers for now :-)

Pat

Columbine Video Release: Logical Move Or Dangerous Precedence?

Okay folks, I just know I'm gonna have a VERY hard time keeping the expletitives out of this one, though I will try.

As you probably already know by now, Jefferson County officials released a video which show Eric Harris & Dylan Klebold showing off some of their weapons at a nearby rifle range. However, it's not the fact that they released it that irks me (although it does since a Federal judge ordered the tape, and anything else associated with the Columbine massacre DESTROYED), but it's HOW the Jefferson County officials are releasing it that makes my blood BOIL (and it should makes YOURS boil as well). :-(

They are charging $20 and are SELLING copies of the video to ANYONE who has the $$$ who wants a copy. Heck, why don't they just put up a BIG HUGE display at Blockbuster Video or Hollywood Video or something? This way, they can sell HUNDREDS of copies.

I mean, does the county not see the potential for copycats who could be more successful here?? Obviously not. Look at the case of the two teenagers in New Jersey The SCARY part of that is they didn't have access to a video or whatever. I shudder to imagine what could happen when such a copycat does get this TRIPE of a "video".

This is NOT "entertainment". It isn't even "Reality TV". It is a GLAMOURIZATION of the actions of A PAIR OF KILLERS and their so-called "friends". Plain and simple.

Now.....Having said that, I sympathize with the parents' desire to have all the information on the Columbine investigation disseminated (sp?), but THIS IS NOT THE WAY. Moreover, this video should be DESTROYED. The judge's ORDERS were VERY SPECIFIC. They contained NOTHING which gave Jefferson County ANY LEGAL RIGHT WHATSOEVER to "Sell" ANYTHING related to Columbine for profit. For this alone, I hope the judge takes Jefferson County TO THE CLEANERS.

But has ANYONE thought about those who LIVED through that massacre and survived?? NO! Has ANYONE even ASKED them? NO! It's as if these people don't have rights or something because THEY SURVIVED COLUMBINE and have told about it. That IN AND OF ITSELF is a cryin' shame! :-(

If there's one VOICE THE PEOPLE of Jefferson County still have, it is by way of THE VOTING MACHINE. If *I* were a Jefferson County resident, *I'd* call for sweeping changes across the board. This would mean that NONE of the incumbents in Jefferson County races in 2004 wwould get a "free pass". They all would have lost MY vote a LONG time ago.

If they wanna make a profit, that's fine. BUT NOT ON MY DIME. And certainly NOT with this TRIPE of a "video" which is marketed by Jefferson County as if it were an Arnold Schwartzenegger action movie.

Just my opinion.

Cheers for now :-)

Pat