Reality -v- Spin

I know we don't like to talk politics here at BB. Well sorry, but this is important. To me it is vital. So take a few minutes out of your busy lives and read. It won't hurt. You don't have to comment. Just read it and think about it. A lot.
Soon the President will deliver his annual 'State of the Union' speech. As gut wrenchingly boring as it will be we all need to take the time to watch and listen. As he stands before us, a nation he has sworn to serve with dignity and honor, he will tell us all is well here in the land of Oz. The economy is booming, we're on the verge of seeing his tax cuts becoming permanent, the Patriot Act needs to be made permanent, and Alito needs to be confirmed. The war he will tell us is moving right along. Iraq is well on her way to becoming an independent country, a thriving democracy.
When you hear these things said to you by your Commander in Chief, a man YOU may well have voted for, not once but TWICE. Try remembering a few things.
Our nation now has the highest national debt it has EVER known. EVER. Our children won't have to worry about it. Nope it will our grandchildren who are left to deal with this monumental debt. Yes, there will be those who will tell you it's no big deal. Just ask yourself if it's no big deal why can't we get it paid down? If the economy is booming then why are we seeing Ford Motor Company announcing they will be laying off 30,000 employees over the next few months?
Ask yourself is the Patriot Act (YOU really need to read some of this "ACT, trust me you'll be shocked)really vital to our security or is it just another means of chipping away at the Constitution? Placing more and more power in the executive branch of the government. That's the President by the way. If your a Republican ask yourself if you really want to entrust that kind of power to the next President. Who by the way, just might be another Clinton.
About those tax cuts. Have YOU benefited from them? Do you personally know anyone who has? Or are you and your family still struggling just to make ends meet?
Now, lets talk about Iraq. Lets start with this exert from a story by CNN reporter Michael Holmes.
"It was January 27, 2004, my third "tour" of Iraq. I'm now nearing the end of my fifth, and the sad reality -- for me, at least -- is this place seems less secure each time I've come. More necessary security, more danger, a greater likelihood you could get killed doing your job.

I've had my share of risky assignments, from Afghanistan to Gaza and the West Bank, Rwanda to Romania during the 1989 revolution. None come close to the daily feeling here that anything could happen to you, at any time."

Now add this,
"Stretched by frequent troop rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army has become a "thin green line" that could snap unless relief comes soon, according to a study for the Pentagon.
Andrew Krepinevich, a retired Army officer who wrote the report under a Pentagon contract, concluded that the Army cannot sustain the pace of troop deployments to Iraq long enough to break the back of the insurgency. "You really begin to wonder just how much stress and strain there is on the Army, how much longer it can continue,"[source]

Do they look like THEY believe this administrations claim that all is getting better? Do YOU?
The next time someone mentions supporting the troops, remember that report by a Mr Krepinevich.
While your at it, remember that now on an almost daily basis we are seeing the ongoing saga with Iran. Condlazza Rice is traisping her way around Europe and the Middle East talking tough talk about what "Iran has to do...". I can't help but wonder just what Ms Rice is going to be doing when Iran tells her she can take her ultimatum and stick it where the sun don't shine? Will she strap on military garb and put her butt on the front lines? Will Bush, or Rumsfield, or Cheney, or Rove? Will THEIR children? No. No, they'll expect you and me to send OUR children, and grandchildren. Just like they expect our children and grandchildren to shoulder the responsibility for country so deep in depth, we owe our souls to China.

This man who stands before you, who told you he was going to be a "uniter" not a divider. He was going to bring honor and dignity to the White House, and he is standing there lying to you. Oh they won't call it lies. No, it's perceptions. It's spin. Of course when Clinton lied about Lewinski that was perception and spin too. Did YOU give HIM a break? Did his lie cost anyone other than himself a single thing?
Speaking of honor and dignity, take a look at the scandal involving numerous Senators and Congressmen. Ask Jack Abramoff if he was greasing the palms of republicans AND democrats? Why would he? Democrats had no power to do him any good. Again, just try reality. Take a look at Duke Cunningham, Tom DeLay and Bob Ney.
It's time for a good old fashioned house cleaning in the halls of Congress. A good many people need to be sent home and maybe to the penalty box (jail). This is an election year. If your state has Senators and Congressmen up for election, take the time to take a long hard look at them. Are they REALLY serving YOUR best interest? Or their own? If all politicians are corrupt then it's time we put a stop to it. Kick them out of office, and keep kicking them out, until they get the message.

"IF" you live in Alabama and you are even thinking of voting for Roy Moore, please let me know because we need to have a very long talk about voting responsibly. Bob Riley is an excellent governor (yes I KNOW he's republican). To even consider replacing him with Roy Moore is sheer idiocy. Seriously. Sorry if that offends you, but this is OUR state we're talking about here.

Okay, rant over. You can go back to your regularly scheduled blogging now.