Thoughts Before The Alarm Sounds

     During the past few months the Republican Party has come out with some interesting policy statements. Here are a few examples:       On July 3rd Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia delivered the GOP response to President Obama's weekly radio address. His entire discussion concerned the national debt, “one of the most dangerous threats confronting America today.” He went on to say, “At some point we have to say 'enough is enough'” The entire address is available on youtube.      On July 11th Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona said, "You should never have to offset [the] cost of a deliberate decision to reduce tax rates on Americans."      The very next day Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, backed up Senator Kyl's statement with the following, “So I think what Senator Kyl was expressing was the view of virtually every Republican on that subject.”      Appar...

     I think most people would agree that a candidate for U.S. Senator or Representative should have some modicum of personal responsibillity, although some of the current crop seem to be lacking in that respect. So when I saw the responses that the GOP senate nominee from Delaware, Christine O'Donnell, made on a nationally televised debate, I thought I would take a quick look into her background.      She was born on August 27, 1969, and has been a marketing consultant, worked in public relations, and appeared as a political commentator on several news media outlets including Fox News. In 2006 and 2008 she ran for Senator in the primary elections, and was soundly defeated both times.      In 2010 she scored a surprising primary upset against nine-term Representative and ex-governor Mike Castle. Her victory was due to backing by Sarah Palin and an infusion of cash in the amount of $150,000 from the Tea Party. Her campaign als...

     An escapade by a magisterial district judge made headlines in the local newspapers, but was probably relegated to page 10 in other areas.      In Pennsylvania such judges conduct criminal arraignments and preliminary hearings, issue arrest warrants and search warrants in some cases; hear civil disputes involving $8,000.00 or less, and Landlord-Tenant disputes other than matters involving title to real estate; issue temporary Protection from Abuse Act orders; decide traffic, game law, and fish and boat code cases; conduct marriages, administer oaths and affirmations, etc. They are elected for six-year terms, and draw an annual salary of $80K.      The judge apparently thought it was funny to hand out acorns stuffed with condoms to women near the State Capitol. Two of the women he approached disagreed with his humor, and complained to the Capitol Police. The judge was arrested forthwith and charged with disorderly conduct....

      As I write this, the nation is celebrating its number two spectator holiday: the baseball playoffs and World Series. (Number one is the Superbowl.)       In addition to being the national pastime, baseball has at various times been called a game of inches, a game of skill, a game of strategy, etc., etc. But at its major league level, baseball consists of a bunch of young millionaires playing a boy's game: hitting a round ball with a round stick.       (I don't understand a new thing which has sprung up in the past several years. In football and basketball the teams high-five each other at the end of the game, but in baseball the winning team high-fives itself. Is this a new form of sportsmanship?)       Anyway, I love baseball, and I like to think of it as a game of reconciliation. Whether one is liberal, conservative, libertarian or green; whether one is Protestant, Catholic, Jewish or Mu...