Thoughts on Obama's Latest Appearance on 60 Minutes

Tonight, 60 Minutes aired what seemed like its 190,653rd interview with President Obama.

He's on so often they should make him a special correspondent.

President Obama both came across as both evasive and defensive. He did not answer Kroft when he asked him if there were enough votes in Congress to get a health care bill passed. He was also very testy when Kroft reminded him he had effectively nationalized the banking and automobile industries. I also thought he was disingenuous in saying he had tried to work with Republicans with regard to health care reform.

But perhaps the segment of the interview I found most annoying was on the matter of civility in Washington in the context of Rep. Joe Wilson's interjection during his speech before Congress a few days ago:

KROFT: Do you think that Congressman Wilson should be rebuked? There was talk about that today, and now he's claiming that he is a victim. That he's being attacked.

OBAMA: (LAUGHS) But see, this is part of what happens. I mean, it becomes a big circus instead of us focusing on health care.

KROFT: I think Bob Schieffer's point was that, I think he thought that…in some ways, this debate has brought out the worst in us.

OBAMA: Well…

KROFT: Not the best.

OBAMA: …well, I think you've got a convergence of things. Look, worst recession since the Great Depression. People feeling anxious. I think we're debating something that has always been a source of controversy, and that's not just health care, but also the structure, and the size, and the role of government. That's something that basically defines the left and the right in this country. And so, extremes on both sides get very agitated about that issue.

I will also say that in the era of 24-hour cable news cycles that the loudest, shrillest voices get the most attention. And so, one of the things I'm trying to figure out is, how can we make sure that civility is interesting. And, you know, hopefully, I will be a good model for the fact that, you know, you don't have to yell and holler to make your point, and to be passionate about your position.

KROFT: So, your goal to bring civility back to Washington is still a work in progress?

OBAMA: It's still a work in progress. No doubt about it.

Please be serious. There were a hundred Joe Wilsons during some of President Bush's later State of the Union addresses. I don't recall anyone in the liberal media bemoaning the loss of civility in Washington.

But more to the point President Obama is hardly in any position to lecture anyone on civility. Particularly when he accuses those who criticize his health care policies as liars, as tellers of tall tales and of bearing false witness. Let us also not forget his threat to call out those who he deems to be liars, tellers of tall tales and bearers of false witness for daring to speak out against him and his health care policies. President Obama's voice might be neither loud nor shrill but it is every bit as uncivil.

Are you a Creepy Republican Guy?

Too funny not to share

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ARE YOU A CREEPY REPUBLICAN GUY?

If you are a male and active in Republican politics, answer the following questions to determine whether or not you creep women out. If you answer yes to at least 2 of the following questions, you need to examine your behavior. It may not be fair, but we are living in a politically correct era and the definitions of stalking and harassment have been expanded. There is a certain level of behavior in Republican circles that goes beyond simple friendship into creepiness, and you need to be aware of what it is or risk being the talk of Republican women around the water cooler.

PRELIMINARY DISQUALIFIER:

Are you as good looking as George Clooney, and do almost all women you meet want to go out with you? If you answered yes, stop right there, you don't need this test, you are not a CREEPY REPUBLICAN GUY.

THE QUIZ: ANSWER YES OR NO

1) Do you find yourself calling or texting attractive women frequently and finding they don't respond half the time?

2) Do you give attractive women big, lingering hugs, and maybe even a kiss on the cheek every time you see them or say good-bye? Just because YOU traditionally like to do this, doesn't make it right, the odds are half the women can't stand it.

3) Do you give attractive women compliments frequently?

4) Do you go up to female after female at social events when drinking (making it obvious to the other women there that you are trying to score)?

5) When an attractive female turns you down when you ask her to hang out, do you jump right in and suggest an alternative, badgering her into saying yes so she'll hang out with you?

6) Are you always trying to catch attractive women's eyes, looking at them every time they look up at a meeting? That is completely obnoxious by the way.

7) Are you married? If so, that's even worse.

If you answered YES to 2 or more of these, you need to adjust your behavior. If women decline to hang out with you, and give you a fishy excuse, it is most likely because they find you a CREEPY REPUBLICAN GUY. You do not then suggest something else to do with them! That is amplifying the creepy behavior. Do not call them and text them constantly. That doesn't make them like you any more, it has the reverse effect and makes them dislike you more. Guys, it comes down to this: if a woman does not find you appealing, she doesn't like to hear your overdosage of compliments, phone calls, invites, etc. Keep it professional - or risk getting a reputation as a CREEPY REPUBLICAN GUY.

Ahmadinejad to Obama: Chuck You Farley

President Obama who has been so eager to obtain an audience with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was told that any discussions between the United States and Iran would not concern Iran's nuclear program.

President Obama put all his cards on the table and not surprisingly its Ahmadinejad who is now holding all the cards.

I don't think Kenny Rogers can help Obama out of this one.

Brown to Seek GOP Nomination for Massachusetts Senate Seat

Today, Massachusetts State Senator Scott Brown announced he would be seeking the Republican nomination for the special Senate election to fill the seat vacated as a result of Ted Kennedy's death last month.

Brown is one of a handful of Republicans in the Massachusetts Senate. Prior to becoming a State Senator, Brown was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and before that he was a Selectman from his hometown of Wrentham. His daughter Ayla was a contestant on American Idol several years ago and currently plays basketball at Boston College.

Assuming Brown carries the GOP banner he faces long odds. Massachusetts hasn't had a Republican in the U.S. Senate in more than thirty years. But if Brown were to win in January it would reveal tremendous discontent with President Obama in the bluest of states. A Republican victory in Massachusetts would make Obama sit up and take notice. Yet all the more reason why it is highly unlikely.

Jeter Passes Gehrig

On September 11th of all dates, Derek Jeter became the New York Yankees all-time hit leader.

Jeter collected his 2,722nd career base hit when he singled down the right field line in the bottom of the 3rd inning off Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman. In so doing, Jeter eclipsed Lou Gehrig as that storied franchise's all-time hit leader.

I might be a Red Sox fan but anytime someone passes Lou Gehrig it's a big deal.

I am planning to write more about Jeter from the point of view of Red Sox Nation.

Obama Administration Plans Bilateral Talks With North Korea

The Obama Administration is planning direct talks with North Korea.

I'm not sure if September 11th is the right date to make such an announcement.

On the other hand today was Friday and I found about this just before 5 p.m.

State Department spokesperson P.J. Crowley said, "We are prepared to enter into a bilateral discussion with North Korea."

Why?

This, after all, is a regime that took two American reporters hostage earlier this year and it took a visit from former President Bill Clinton (and Lord knows what else) to get them released.

As with Iran, I don't see anything good coming of it.

Larry Gelbart, 1928-2009. R.I.P.

Writer Larry Gelbart has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 81.

Gelbart was a successful writer on Broadway, film and television. He cut his teeth writing for Danny Thomas and Sid Caesar (if writing for Thomas and Caesar didn't make your teeth sharp then nothing would.) Gelbart is, of course, best known for bringing M*A*S*H to television in 1972 and would remain with the show until 1976.

After leaving M*A*S*H, Gelbart co-wrote screenplays for movies like Oh God! starring George Burns, Tootsie starring Dustin Hoffman as well as the far less heralded Blame It On Rio starring Michael Caine, a very young Demi Moore and an even younger Michelle Johnson.

In recent years, Gelbart blogged on The Huffington Post.

James Pouillon, 194?-2009. R.I.P.

James Pouillon, an anti-abortion activist, was shot and killed this morning as he exercised his right to peacefully protest outside a high school in Owosso, Michigan. He was 63.

It is interesting that The Flint Journal saw fit to publish his arrest record between 1994 and 2003. Somehow I doubt The Flint Journal did the same when Dr. George Tiller was murdered last May.

It is worth noting Pouillon condemned Tiller's murder. Indeed, most of the pro-life movement did the same including the National Right to Life Committee. Contrast the response of the NRLC to Tiller's murder to NARAL Pro-Choice America's response to Pouillon's murder.

Now it is true that Pouillon wasn't the only victim in Owosso. Mike Fuoss, a local businessman, was also murdered this morning. Authorities have arrested Harlan Drake and he has been charged with two counts of first degree murder. It also appears that Drake was planning on killing another Owosso resident but taken into custody before he could carry out his plans.

It is possible Drake might have motivated to kill Pouillon for reasons other than his anti-abortion activism. But the fact Pouillon was killed while he was protesting should give one pause.

Thoughts on President Obama's 9/11 Remarks at the Pentagon Memorial

This morning President Obama gave a short speech during the wreath laying ceremony at the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

I was struck by this passage in particular:

Let us renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and who plot against us still. In defense of our nation we will never waver; in pursuit of al Qaeda and its extremist allies, we will never falter.

Let us renew our commitment to all those who serve in our defense -- our courageous men and women in uniform and their families and all those who protect us here at home. Mindful that the work of protecting America is never finished, we will do everything in our power to keep America safe.

Unfortunately, President Obama's words ring hollow. He has certainly waivered in defense of our nation by apologizing for it whenever he goes abroad. Let us recall when he said last June in Cairo:

And finally, just as America can never tolerate violence by extremists, we must never alter or forget our principles. Nine-eleven was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable, but in some cases, it led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideals. We are taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the architect of September 11, 2001, is currently housed at Guantanamo Bay, has been subject to enhanced interrogation techniques and as a result of said techniques revealed information that thwarted other planned terrorist attacks inside the United States and abroad.

Yet Attorney General Eric Holder is proceeding with plans that may result in the prosecution of those in the CIA who employed these enhanced interrogation tactics against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. In so doing the Obama Administration is demonstrating a greater resolve against our own intelligence community than it is against al Qaeda.

So, Mr. President, can you tell us where Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is going when you close Guantanamo?

My Visit to the 9/11 Memorial in the Boston Public Garden

It is not unusual for me to walk in the Boston Public Garden during my lunch hour. Normally, I walk either around the perimeter of the park or around the duck pond.

Today, however, I visited the small 9/11 memorial Garden of Remembrance located at the foot of the park. The memorial is in honor of the 206 people from Massachusetts who died on September 11, 2001. Most perished aboard American Airlines Flight 11 or United Airlines Flight 175 both of which departed Boston's Logan International Airport that morning and crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Others perished on the ground at the World Trade Center whether as civilians or as members of the FDNY or the Port Authority of New Jersey & New York.

There was a small crowd gathered around the memorial. Fortunately, unlike last year, there was no anti-Bush outburst. This year I saw only quiet reflection accompanied by flowers, notes and photographs of the deceased leaning up against the memorial.

While most of the carnage took place in New York City part of the journey which led to the carnage began in Boston. The attacks of September 11, 2001 were also an assault upon people living here. This is, unfortunately, one of the many things that has been forgotten about September 11, 2001 in the intervening eight years.

No Mention of September 11th on YouTube

National Review's Jonah Goldberg notes that Google's home page makes no mention of September 11, 2001.

Well, if you look on YouTube today the spotlight is on Michael Jordan's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

I have no objection to YouTube spotlighting Jordan's achievements but not today. To not acknowledge September 11, 2001 demonstrates a glaring lack of priorities and no sense of history.

Thoughts on Rep. Joe Wilson

Congressman Joe Wilson rightly apologized to President Obama for heckling him during last night's health care address. When Obama said his reforms would not provide coverage to illegal immigrants, Wilson retorted, "You lie!"

In truth, Wilson gave the liberal media a gift horse. Instead of focusing their attention on how Obama can possibly spend $900 billion on health care reform without adding a dime to the deficit they are shining their scrutiny on Wilson. Dana Millbank of The Washington Post must have been salivating when he wrote this intro in his column on Obama's speech:

As President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, the nation's rapidly deteriorating discourse hit yet another low.

Yet moments before Wilson's intemperate outburst, President Obama himself used the word "lie.":

Some of people's concerns have grown out of bogus claims spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost. The best example is the claim made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but by prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens. Now, such a charge would be laughable if it weren't so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple.

Well, there is some disagreement about that. So who exactly is being uncivil?

President Obama, of course, was referring to Sarah Palin. Yet Obama was smart enough not to mention her by name. Wilson, on the other hand, directly addressed Obama and in doing so may have given Obama the opening he needs to win over the public on Obamacare.

Thoughts on Obama's Health Care Speech

I watched the rerun of President Obama's health care speech tonight.

When the President says his plan will cost $900 billion without adding a dime to the deficit he is basically telling us we can all go to heaven without dying. Let us remember that it was only a couple of weeks ago the White House revised its long term deficit projections by more than $2 billion. If Obama can't get deficit projections right why should I believe he can properly project health care spending? The notion that health care costs can be contained and savings can be achieved by eliminating fraud and waste in Medicare and Medicaid is, to quote Hillary Clinton, a willing suspension of disbelief.

What I was looking for from Obama tonight was how the new system would be an improvement over the present one. Well, I'm still waiting. He blasted health insurance companies for cherry picking by insuring healthy consumers while rejecting or dropping sick policy holders. That's all well and good yet the same sort of thing happens under public health care systems that when they ration care. The patient is denied coverage for health care just the same.

President Obama repeated the claim that if you like your present health insurance you can keep it. But how can he make such a promise? Private companies change insurance providers all the time. There's nothing to prevent companies from opting to change insurance providers nor should there be if a company is better served by a competitor.

It's a little ripe for the President to lack of civility in the health care debate at the conclusion of his remarks when during the body of his remarks he accused those who disagreed with him of using scare tactics and telling tall tales. He all but called Sarah Palin a liar (but at least she's getting under his thin skin.) Yet it is not helpful when Obama says, "If you misrepresent what is in this plan we will call you out." In other words it is a sin to disagree with The Anointed One. It is also not constructive to bring the War in Iraq or President Bush's tax cuts into the mix. If I were a Republican lawmaker statements like that would not lead me to believe that he is open to suggestion notwithstanding the bone he threw them on tort reform.

My reservations notwithstanding I understand the appeal of a public option to some. It does to some extent alleviate the anxiety involved in the high costs of health care. The fact is few people could afford to pay for most medical procedures out of their own pocket. If President Obama convinces people his plan will prevent them from going bankrupt when a catastrophic health problem arises then he will have turned the corner. However, President Obama insults our intelligence if he seriously believes his plans for health care will not add a dime to the deficit. So at the moment the jury is still out.

Of course, if the American public still doesn't buy into Obamacare we might end up getting it whether we want it or not. In which case, voters will likely turn on Democrats en masse in November 2010. Yet that might be precisely what Obama wants. Obama would love to run against a Republican controlled Congress in 2012. It worked for Bill Clinton. Hillarycare failed. The GOP gains control of both Houses in midterm elections and two years later Clinton is re-elected in a landslide.

But what good does it do our health care system if the President is in while the doctor is out.

Thoughts on Obama's Speech to Schoolchildren

The headline of this morning's Metro newspaper (which appears in various cities with subway lines such as Boston) reads:

Obama speech gets schoolkids thinking

That might be wishful thinking on the part of the person who wrote that caption.

I can understand the reservations of some parents who thought the President might engage in indoctrination. But even if he did how many kids are really paying attention?

I'm sure most of those kids were waiting for recess or lunch. Obama might be bringing change to America but kids haven't changed that much.

Hugo Chavez Flies Red Flag on Red Carpet

Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez made an appearance at the Venice Film Festival yesterday for the premiere of Oliver Stone's South of the Border, a documentary about Hugo Chavez's favorite subject - Hugo Chavez.

The film was written by noted British Trotskyite Tariq Ali.

Chavez traveled to Venice after spending a couple of days in Iran with his BFF, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and agreed to sell him 20,000 barrels of oil a day. He also spent some time in Syria where he described Israel as a nation that "annihilates" people.

I wonder how long it will be before Stone makes fawning documentaries about Ahmadinejad and Assad.

Massachusetts Next Senator Won't Be a Kennedy

Well, Massachusetts next Senator won't be a Kennedy.

Today, former Congressman Joe Kennedy announced he would not make a bid for the Democratic Party nomination to succeed his uncle. He will remain with Citizens Energy, the organization he founded thirty years ago and is best known for buying oil from Hugo Chavez.

Needless to say this makes the Democratic primary wide open. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has already declared but look for her to have company very soon from current and former members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation. Ed Markey, Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch are expected to make bids as is Marty Meehan, a former Congressman who is now the President of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

But if Curt Schilling decides to seek the Republican nomination one must wonder if Massachusetts next Senator will be a Democrat.

Anti-Israel Letter Sent to Toronto International Film Festival

I spoke with my mother on the phone earlier today. She told me the 34th Annual Toronto International Film Festival is being targeted by anti-Israel protesters because the festival is spotlighting films from Tel Aviv in honor of the city's 100th anniversary.

An open letter was submitted to festival organizers that was signed by, amongst others, Jane Fonda, Danny Glover, David Byrne of The Talking Heads, writer Alice Walker and Eve Ensler of The Vagina Monologues fame. The letter itself was drafted by, amongst others, anti-globalization activist Naomi Klein and Canadian filmmaker John Greyson.

My mother told me that Greyson withdrew his short film Covered from the festival and will instead organize a screening at the Toronto Palestinian Film Festival which begins later this month. This is precious when you consider that Greyson is openly gay and his films deal with homosexuality. The Palestinian Authority isn't exactly known for its gay friendly attitude. Greyson would be wise to read an article written by Yossi Klein Halevi for The New Republic in August 2002 that described the plight of gay Palestinians. If he did he would discover that if you are gay in the Palestinian territories and want to live you go to Israel.

The letter accuses organizers of being "complicit in the Israeli propaganda machine." It describes Tel Aviv as having been "built on destroyed Palestinian villages" also absurdly evokes imagery of South Africa during the Apartheid era:

Looking at modern, sophisticated Tel Aviv without also considering the city’s past and the realities of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza strip, would be like rhapsodizing about the beauty and elegant lifestyles in white-only Cape Town or Johannesburg during apartheid without acknowledging the corresponding black townships of Khayelitsha and Soweto.

Yet there is a film about Jaffa playing during the festival titled (what else?) Jaffa.

It is clear that Israeli filmmakers are being judged by their nationality not by the content of their works.

The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 1o-19.

Tips on how to use the new social online media most effectively

“Grassroots activists are the new reporters”

FACEBOOK

Everyone is on facebook now, which has become the new blogs, so if you're not, you're missing out on half the political dialogue and the best place to politically organize. Conservatives are adding as many friends as possible; although it may seem overwhelming, it will become a powerful forum for you to promote activism and recruit others - it's like suddenly having your own nationally trafficked website. Once you've added a couple hundred people as friends, other conservatives will automatically start sending you friend requests. Set up groups on facebook to promote your causes.

There are also conservative social networking sites similar to facebook, like rootshq.com, run by a partner of American Liberty Alliance, and republicanville.com, run by Arizona's Politics on the Rocks. Ping.fm lets you update multiple social networking sites simultaneously.

TWITTER

Download the free tweetdeck.com to make twitter more user-friendly. It lets you set up permanent searches in separate columns for words you choose, and permanent columns for groups you follow.

Join the group #tcot (Top Conservatives on Twitter), and send your twitter updates to #tcot. The #tcot website is tcotreport.com and is updated regularly with the latest news on conservatives using the new media.

Set up tweetlater.com to automatically follow others who follow you. This will save you a lot of time finding friends.

BLOGS

Start your own blog using blogger.com, which is the easiest blog program out there, plus it's free, easy, no ads, and can do almost anything. Put facebook, twitter, and youtube icons up front on the top of your blog,and include your twitter feed on the sidebar. Or, contribute to an existing blog in Arizona like SonoranAlliance.com, which is always accepting new writers, named or anonymous. Check out blognetnews.com/arizona regularly to keep updated on Arizona's political blogs.

The left has a coordinated effort in place to control the blogosphere by lurking on conservative blogs and posting negative comments, in order to demoralize them. Help our conservative blogs like sonoranalliance.com by refuting these troublemakers in the comments.

Set up multiple and anonymous email accounts at gmail.com to use for various activism.

YOUTUBE

Most cameras and phones come with video recording ability. When at an event, especially if something controversial is happening involving the left, take a short video clip of it and upload it to YouTube. Pictures are compelling and almost everyone watches TV.

“The new internet is Web 2.0 – 99% listening and 1% talking”

-Ralph Benko,The Websters'Dictionary

Dean Calls Jones' Resignation "A Loss For The Country"

I have not written anything about the controversy surrounding Van Jones, the Green Jobs Czar who resigned from the Obama Administration. Others have done so superbly.

Former DNC Chair Howard Dean thinks Jones' resignation is "a loss for the country."

So what about Jones signing a petition claiming the September 11th attacks were an inside job?

Dean claims Jones didn't know what he was signing at the time echoing Jones own statements on the matter.

I guess Jones just signs his name to any old petition.

I know that when I'm asked to sign a petition I make sure I'm not signing something that says I support Hezbollah. It's called due diligence.

Former Swedish PM Cancels Trip to Israel

Tensions between Israel and Sweden continue to rise as Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has cancelled a trip to Israel that was scheduled to take place on September 11th.

Last month, a Swedish newspaper printed a story that accused Israeli soldiers of harvesting the organs of Palestinians. Israelis were further angered when the Swedish government refused to condemn the article citing free speech. Yet the Swedish government sent a letter of protest to Denmark at the height of the Muhammad cartoon controversy in 2006.

A spokesperson claims Bildt's cancellation is due to "timing" and has nothing to do with the diplomatic row. Which means that it has everything to do it.

Yet it is worth noting that there is no love lost between Bildt and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bildt raised the ire of Israel in April 2008 when he compared Netanyahu, then leader of the opposition, to Hamas. In an interview conducted on Swedish radio, Bildt said, "It is possible to make peace without Hamas the same way it is possible to make peace without Netanyahu on the Israeli side."

One would think that Netanyahu and Bildt would have common cause on the surface. After all, Bildt was the long time leader of Sweden's Moderate Party which is the conservative party in that country. It is also worth noting that Bildt was Sweden's Prime Minister between 1991 and 1994. But, of course, European conservatism or Christian democracy is a very different creature from conservatism in the United States or Canada.

Indeed, the gulf between conservatives and socialists in Sweden on the question of Israel and the Palestinians is virtually non-existent. Anna Lindh, who was Sweden's Foreign Minister when the Social Democrats were in power, was also considered vehemently anti-Israel. Lindt continued to claim the IDF had massacred Palestinians civilians in the Jenin refugee camp even after the UN concluded there was no massacre in August 2002. Tragically, Lindh was assassinated in Stockholm in September 2003.

Zvi Mazel, who was Israel's Ambassador to Sweden from 2002 to 2004, offers some interesting insights into Swedish attitudes towards Israel and Jews in general.

So relations between Israel and Sweden have been strained for some time but perhaps have reached a breaking point.

U.S. Unemployment Rate Hits 9.7%

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed the national unemployment rate for August 2009 was 9.7% - the highest in more than 26 years.

It represents an increase of 0.3% from last month. In fairness, there were actually fewer job losses than expected last month but the unemployment rate rose because more people were actively seeking work.

I remember when I would write articles in praise of President Bush and would receive negative feedback for it I would be told about 3 million unemployed under Bush. In the months leading up to President Bush's re-election the unemployment rate was hovering around 5.5%. To put things into further perspective in August 2008 the national unemployment rate was 6.1%. So in the space of one year the national unemployment rate has risen 3.6%.

Of course, some of that rise happened during the final months of the Bush Administration. By the time Bush left office the national unemployment rate was at 7.6%. Since President Obama took office the national unemployment rate has risen more than 2%.

So while the U.S. economy lost 216,000 jobs in August the Canadian economy actually gained more than 27,000 jobs. The Canadian unemployment rate last month is exactly one percent lower than ours at 8.7%. What both economies have in common though is that more people are looking for work. So Canada's unemployment rate actually climbed 0.1% last month. But it is worth noting that economists were projecting a loss of 15,000 jobs in August.

This is good news for Stephen Harper and Canada's Conservative government. If Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals are bent on bringing down the government and force an election this fall all Harper has to do is point to these numbers, say Canada is on the road to recovery and ask why change horses in midstream.

It also makes one wonder about the effectiveness of President Obama's economic policies when Canada is making a quicker recovery than we are.

The Inexcusable Ted Kennedy

On September 14th, Ted Kennedy's memoirs will be posthumously released. A copy was obtained by The New York Times.

Kennedy called his actions at Chappaquiddick "inexcusable."

Yet Ed Klein, who has also written a biography of Kennedy, said that Kennedy liked to joke about Chappaquiddick.

If Kennedy could joke about an incident in which the life of another human being was lost due in no small part to his inactions then how sorry can he really be? Ted Kennedy joking about Chappaquiddick is inexcusable.

It is worth remembering that George W. Bush was arrested for drunk driving in Maine in 1976. Imagine if he had seriously injured or killed someone. Imagine also if Bush had joked about such an incident. The left-wing would be appalled and justifiably so. But because Kennedy supported a specific set of policies the same left-wing turns a blind eye. For them Chappaquiddick is water under the bridge.

Thoughts on Obama's Health Care Speech Before Congress

President Obama is going to make his case for health care reform in a speech before a joint session of Congress on September 9th.

I have a feeling we are going to have a return to the soaring rhetoric that helped Obama get elected ten months ago. If that is the case then he will need to tell Congress and Americans at large how a new health care system will be an improvement on the existing system rather than accusing those who disagree with his proposals of bearing false witness.

I am sure those at MSNBC and The New York Times will once again experience leg tingling sensations. Nonetheless, if Obama doesn't hit a homerun with this speech then health care reform is dead. That said I will not make the mistake of underestimating him.

Ignatieff Says Liberals Won't Raise Taxes

Canada's Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff said yesterday a Liberal government would eliminate the federal deficit without raising taxes.

I now await Ignatieff's pledge to sell the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge which connects Ottawa with Hull, Quebec.

It must be remembered that back in December, Ignatieff would not rule out tax increases. Of course, at that time, he was not prepared to go to the polls.

While one might scoff at Ignatieff's promise the fact that he's making this promise clearly means he is in election mode on all eight cylinders and intends to bring down the Tory government of Stephen Harper.

The Tories should not count on support from either the NDP or the Bloc Quebecois.

Looks like Canada is headed for a fall election.

Canadians re-elected Stephen Harper to a second consecutive minority government in October 2008.

Schilling For Senate?

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling has not ruled out a possibility that he will seek the Republican nomination for Massachusetts' open Senate seat vacated due to the death of Ted Kennedy last week.

Of course, politics is not unfamilar terrain for Schilling.

After the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, Schilling campaigned for President Bush's re-election. During the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees, Schilling was asked by then ESPN radio host Dan Patrick if Alex Rodriguez's slap of Bronson Arroyo's glove during Game 6 was "Bush league." Schilling replied, "No, it was Kerry league."

Speaking of John Kerry, Schilling was touted as a potential rival to Kerry's re-election bid in 2008 but opted to play another year with the Red Sox. As it turned out, a shoulder injury kept Schilling from pitching and he would subsequently retire never throwing another major league pitch. Instead of running for office he campaigned for John McCain. Schilling and McCain were acquainted while Schilling pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

I hope Schilling does it because he's the best chance the GOP has here in Massachusetts. A Schilling victory would deny the Democrats their 60 seat fillibuster proof Senate.

However, it won't be easy for Schilling even with two World Series rings. Red Sox Nation is deep in the heart of a Blue State.