How to Improve Presidential Campaigns

Some time ago I wrote a diatribe on my Facebook page, fulminating about the enormous amount of money spent by the two major parties on the 2012 presidential election - by most estimates, about 2.6 billion dollars*. I rhetorically asked how much better off we'd be if that money had been spent on schools, health care, and infrastructure rather than on yard signs, robocalls**, and crass, insulting attack ads.

As they are wont to do, my more conservative friends shook their heads and patiently explained to me that this money is actually Constitutionally-protected free speech, that for many reasons it couldn't have been used for other purposes, anyhow, and that I was a commiepinkoratbastard for even thinking about something so heretical as criticizing campaign expenditures.

Well, silly me ...

Having learned my lesson, I've decided not to criticize the obscene amounts of money being spent by both sides to buy the presidency. Instead, I thought I might suggest a few alternative ways to improve the quality, if not the funding, of presidential campaigns. Here are four ideas ...

1. Instead of debates, require candidates to engage in UFC-style cage fights ... all proceeds would be used to cover campaign debts.

1a. Candidates incurring injuries in these fights would be required to obtain treatment via the healthcare.gov website, like Real People.

2. Require any candidate who advocates a military solution to any international problem to provide evidence of having actually served in the military.

3. Require any candidate advocating a policy position based on a either advocating or restricting a particular religious belief to support that position by writing an essay titled, "Why the First Amendment to the Constitution Doesn't Really Mean What It Says."

4. Require any candidate who makes a speech or runs a campaign ad advocating an action, policy, or comment made by the incumbent president to explain (in detail) his or her alternative course of action, the plan for funding it, and why it would work while the one proposed by the incumbent would not.

5. And when all else fails, you can try other, more esoteric options ...

What do you think, Dear Readers? Any other suggestions? Leave a comment.

Have a good day. Come back tomorrow for our first December edition of Great Moments in Editing. More thoughts then.

Bilbo

* You can see a breakdown of the spending and the sources from which the money came (to the extent anyone really knows) here.

** See yesterday's rant on robocalls.

Warning Signs

Your government is for sale, many of your elected officials are utterly ignorant of basic scientific and economic facts, and for many of your fellow citizens, unrestricted freedom is more important than common sense and civic responsibility.  Here are a few warning signs that you may consider posting as needed ... particularly as we approach the presidential election season:

No need to thank me. It's a service we curmudgeons gladly provide.

Have a good day. I will not be posting tomorrow, but the Editorial Gems Friday, Cartoon Saturday, and Poetry Sunday posts are already written and will appear as usual (if perhaps a bit later in the day). See you then.

Bilbo

The Ass Clown of the Month Award for October, 2013

Yes, Dear Readers, I know that it's very early in the month to be making a selection for this quasi-prestigious award, but I think we can all agree that there's an obvious standout choice for October. The Ass Clown of the Month Award for October, 2013 goes to

The United States Congress

with special recognition to

The Republican Party

The Congress, by virtue of its childish behavior, useless finger-pointing, abdication of responsibility, complete and utter inability to perform its most basic duties, and willingness to make the United States a laughingstock around the world, proves itself eminently worthy of this award.

And the GOP, by virtue of its willingness to blackmail the government in order to get what it could not win fairly at the ballot box and in the courts, hard-headed refusal to accept reality, cold-hearted furloughing - without pay - of hundreds of thousands of dedicated federal workers (whom they have in any case derided and insulted for many months), and my-way-or-the-highway insistence on having its way, deserves special recognition for its stupidity, greed, and complete disregard of the welfare of the American people it loudly claims to represent.

Between Congress as a whole and the GOP in particular, we've managed to make Italian government look good ... and that's bad.

I could go on, but I'll just splutter and fume incoherently ... which is about all that Congress is doing, anyhow.

Remember this fiasco at the next election - 535 useless ass clowns are being paid while over 800,000 government workers they have thrown to the curb aren't. All 535 need to be replaced by people willing to do the work for which they were elected.

Have a good day. If you are one of the many thousands of people injured by the fecklessness of Congress and the recklessness of the GOP, good luck. I hope sanity will prevail, but I'm not holding my breath.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Bilbo's Plan for the President's Landslide Reelection in November

First of all, let me say that I haven't yet decided who I'll vote for in the Presidential election. I will just say that I need to be convinced that the opponent needs to convince me ... based on real plans I can evaluate, not platitudes aimed at an unthinking base ... that I should vote for him instead of the incumbent.

I'm still waiting for those plans and policy specifics, though, and I have a feeling I'll die of old age before I see them.

But be that as it may, many pundits have predicted that this year's election will be a squeaker, with the difference between Governor Romney and President Obama within the margin of error of whatever poll you choose to believe.

But I ... Bilbo, the clever but as yet unrecognized political operative ... have solved the problem for President Obama. I believe I have a plan that will guarantee him a towering landslide of historic proportions that will completely bury any opponent the GOP can field.

And it's so simple!

Consider this: the GOP is viscerally, completely, and utterly opposed to anything President Obama (or any Democrat) suggests. If a Democrat says the sky is blue, the GOP will line up in a solid wall to insist that it is absolutely, positively pink. If the President manages to pass, say, a health-care reform law, Republicans will hysterically oppose every aspect of it on principle ... even those portions which were originally developed and proposed by conservatives*.

So, here's my devious, sure-fire plan to ensure the President's reelection ...

On November 5th, the day before the election, President Obama calls a press conference at which he, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi unanimously endorse Mitt Romney (or whoever the GOP nominee turns out to be) for President.

Republicans, spring-loaded to reject anything suggested, proposed, or supported by any Democrat, will immediately vote for ... whoever is opposing the person who has been endorsed by the much-despised Democrats**.

The President will be reelected in an enormous landslide.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that I voted for President Obama in 2008, largely because I was so sick of Bush era Republican policies***. I will also admit to a certain amount of buyer's remorse caused by President Obama's lack of inspiring and clear-eyed leadership****. But I will also point out that Governor Romney, the presumptive GOP nominee, has yet to explain any specific policies he would follow, budget cuts he would make, or plans he would propose that I can evaluate to see if he'd do any better job than the sitting President. This, of course, makes no difference to those rock-solid conservatives who foam at the mouth at the very thought of a second Obama presidency ... but who don't seem to appreciate that their guy is a would-be emperor without policy clothes^†.

So, Democrats, here's your way to win - endorse the GOP candidate! If nothing else, the level of cognitive dissonance you'll cause in the opposition will be very entertaining.

Have a good day. Make sure you ask the people who want your vote the hard questions ... and don't let them get away with not answering them. You deserve better.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* Amazingly enough, even Faux News agrees on the conservative pedigree of the individual mandate!

** That would be President Obama, in case you weren't paying attention.

*** It appears that those who castigate President Obama for the size of the federal deficit have conveniently forgotten that it was President Bush who cut taxes at the same time he decided to fight two wars on credit. Has Mr Obama had a hand in running up the deficit? You bet. Are hypocritical, historically-blinkered Republicans blameless? Not in the least.

**** Although it can be tough to lead when you have a well-organized opposition fighting you every step of the way.

^†You may not agree with the President's policies and actions ... but at least you know what they are.

Florida Speaks! Yawn.

The Florida GOP primary election is now history, and we move on to ... the next primary election, which will be held somewhere, sometime relatively soon. The big winner, as we now know, was Mitt Romney, with 46% of the vote; Newt Gingrich came in second with 32%, and Rick Santorum in third with 13%. To the extent that there's any good news in all this, it's that people in Florida seemed to recognize the lesser of two evils. There are a few points to be made about the Florida results:

1. Organization and money trump noise and bluster. Newt Gingrich was steamrolled by a well-organized, well-funded Romney campaign that buried him under a huge, steaming pile of negative advertising.

2. Negativity is in. I have long bewailed the emphasis on negative campaigning, and we saw its power in Florida. If you want me to vote for you, tell me why you're the better candidate and deserve my vote. Don't tell me that the other guy is a scum-sucking pederast who hates America - tell me what you are and what you stand for. Read this interesting analysis from NPR.

3. Money talks. The Romney campaign completely swamped the Gingrich campaign with money, outspending it by an estimated five times. If you needed a good example of the real impact of the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v Federal Election Commission that opened the fiscal spigot for political campaigns, here it is.

Republicans and Democrats. A plague on both your houses.

My endorsement still stands:

And I am sooooo not looking forward to the next nine months of political misery.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

P.S. - Great story here about Stephen Colbert's Super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Inc.

B.

The 14 Biggest Lies of 2011

When I saw that headline on the Foreign Policy magazine website, I just had to read the entire article, written by David Rothkopf. You can read it yourself here. These are my favorites:

“The war in Iraq is finally over after 9 years.” For us, and for the moment, maybe. I can't help thinking about Colin Powell's Pottery Barn warning - "if you break it, you've bought it."

“America’s mission in Iraq was a success.” I can't do much better than Mr Rothkopf's summary: "The place is divided, undemocratic, heavily influenced by Iran, corrupt, and our invasion cost $1 trillion, thousands of U.S. lives, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives, and our national reputation. Look in the dictionary next to fiasco. There’s a little picture of a dude in a flight jacket standing on a carrier deck in front of a 'Mission Accomplished' banner."

“Pakistan is America’s ally.” Read all about it in Jeffrey Goldberg and Marc Armbinder's article The Ally from Hell.

A tie between “Republicans are the problem” and “Democrats are the problem.” As Mr Rothkopf points out, the real problem is money. He goes on to say, "The system is so resolutely corrupt that recent scandals have only resulted in more money flowing into the system and past reforms being undone." And you've heard me complain enough about how the Supreme Court sold our government to big business and the wealthy.

"Cutting the taxes of millionaires helps creates U.S. jobs.” This one is so obviously laughable that it really shouldn't be taking up space on the list that could be used by a more worthy lie. Of course, if you're a millionaire ... or a Republican ... or a millionaire Republican ... it makes perfect sense. Good luck getting Real People to believe it.

And, finally, my personal favorite:

“Only 9 percent of Americans approve of Congress.” This is an obvious howler ... nobody could possibly believe that so many Americans approve of this embarrassing clown show that has made our government a laughingstock and squandered whatever was left of our international standing after our deadly escapade in Iraq.

Here's what you really need for Christmas ...

Read the whole article, then be sure to cast your votes ... again, if necessary ... for the Ass Clown of the Year Award. At the moment, the top vote-getters are:

Saudi Arabia, with 34 votes;

The GOP, with 31 votes; and,

Congress, with 30 votes.

Let your voice be heard - balloting closes at 11:59 PM on December 30th.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

The Redistricting Game

My friend and co-worker Andy sent me a link the other day to a very interesting game sponsored by the USC Annenberg Center for Communications: The Redistricting Game. It's a game which allows you to design your own Congressional redistricting plan for the mythical state of Jefferson, either in a typically superpartisan fashion which protects single-party power in districts which have nothing whatsoever to do with demographic and social reality, or in a bipartisan fashion which can work along existing political (city, county, parish - for you, Angelique), or similar lines. Andy also provided a link to a similar site sponsored by the Columbia University Law School - DrawCongress.org.

One of the reasons we have such ridiculous gridlock and hyperpartisan ass clownery in Congress is that both parties have used their power at the state and local levels to "gerrymander" voting districts into bizarre shapes intended to create electorally safe seats and maximize the power of a single party in that district. Here's a classic example of gerrymandering ... Illinois Congressional District 4:

There are those who believe that gerrymandering can be a force for good, as when the government creates federal voting district boundaries that produce a majority of constituents representative of racial minorities. I disagree. I believe that any type of artificial construct designed to maximize the power of any single group - political, racial, or social - is unfair and unjust. In my own opinion, however humble, I think that voting districts should line up with the existing boundaries of organization and governance. Anything else builds in the ability for fraud and the gross distortion of the political system that has led us to our current unfortunate state of gridlock.

Play the game. Then throw the bums out.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

A Brief Tax Rant

If you want to watch a Republican's head explode, say something positive about taxes. Actually, nobody likes to pay taxes but, as we see every day, everybody likes the things taxes pay for. What we really want is something for nothing ... or something that, in true Wall Street fashion, is paid for with someone else's money.

But let's be realistic for a minute.

If we want frivolous things like schools, police and fire protection, and an army, we're going to have to pay taxes. The issue is not whether or not taxes are necessary - they are. The real issue is twofold: how to fairly assess and collect the right amount of tax from individuals and businesses, and how to decide what those taxes will pay for.

What constitutes fair in the tax debate is, of course, a matter of opinion. If you have an income of $20,000, any amount of tax taken out may seem unfair. If you have an income of $1,000,000, it may seem unfair that you are asked to pay a larger portion of that income in taxes. Fair is relative.

Here's an example of a tax issue that makes me go AARRGGHH!!

I commute to work every day using a so-called SmarTrip electronic card which is loaded with money that is debited each time I tap it on a Metro turnstile or a fare box on a bus...

One of the ways I can add money to this card is by designating a small, IRS-approved part (currently $130) of my pre-tax pay to be automatically loaded to it each month. This helps pay for my daily commute, keeps a car off the roads, and provides me with a modest tax savings. Is this fair, when compared to benefits not enjoyed by people who don't commute? Probably not. But it's my little tax break, and in a deep and cobwebby part of my fundamentally conservative heart, I'll defend it fiercely.

Now, the IRS has recently decided that the commuter benefit must be more tightly regulated to prevent abuse. My SmarTrip card has been automatically partitioned to separate money for commuting (by bus or train, which is not taxed) from money used to pay for parking (which is not supposed to be paid for with the pre-tax commuting benefit). The fact that you might have a multi-stage commute which requires you to drive to (and park at) a Metro station to catch your bus or train is immaterial. Is this fair?

This is a small but, to me, very annoying tax issue. The law provides all sorts of loopholes which allow some categories of well-represented taxpayers to avoid paying tax on huge amounts of money, while Congress (not the IRS, who are just the enforcers of the laws Congress passes) wants to make sure that I'm not abusing that untaxed $130 per month on my SmarTrip card.

I don't have a big point or message today ... just an observation on one small part of the stupidity of the anti-tax movement and the equal stupidity of the tax code that Congress has written - one that offers benefits and protections to those who can afford Platinum-Plus Representation^TM from the representative they've bought and paid for.

The rest of us, just suck it up and fill out that 1040. Take solace in the fact that you're doing your part to support the job creators.

And if you believe that, I can make you a good deal on a bridge.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

And the Award Goes To ...

Yes, Dear Readers, it's time once again for ol' Uncle Bilbo to present the richly-deserved Ass Clown of the Week Award!

But wait! This time, it's special, for two reasons!

First, today, we present an award covering not just a week, but an entire month, the level of recognized ass-clownery being so stupendous as to deserve dishonor over a longer period of time. And second, we have a tie for worst first place, and so recognize not one, but two dishonorees.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Ass Clown of the Month Award is presented jointly to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the so-called "supercommittee") and to Republican gadfly and loose cannon par excellence Newt Gingrich.

We first cite the members of the "supercommittee," for wasting the nation's time and treasure while accomplishing absolutely nothing, making our so-called government the laughingstock of the world, and imperiling our children's and grandchildren's future.

The self-serving and ludicrous closing statement (sent out by the committee's co-chairs by e-mail and as a post on the committee's website, because they were too ashamed to face the people and admit their failure) says it all:

"After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline ... Despite our inability to bridge the committee's significant differences, we end this process united in our belief that the nation's fiscal crisis must be addressed and that we cannot leave it for the next generation to solve. We remain hopeful that Congress can build on this committee’s work and can find a way to tackle this issue in a way that works for the American people and our economy."

If there was any "hard work" or "intense deliberations" involved, I didn't see it. And if these ridiculous, ideologically fossilized and morally bankrupt finger-pointing blowhards left any work "that Congress can build on," I didn't see that, either. If ever the Ass Clown of the Month Award was deserved, it is now.

And because the ass-clownery just never ends, especially in an election year, a second award is presented to Newt Gingrich ...

for his personification of the "compassionate conservatism" of today's Republican Party. Specifically, Mr Gingrich is cited for his recent assertion that child labor laws are "truly stupid," and his belief that children's work ethic could be enhanced and money saved by replacing expensive unionized school janitors with after-school student labor. Who needs to waste all that time on school work, anyhow? ... the current crop of Republican presidential wannabees clearly demonstrates that education is unnecessary if you are sufficiently ideologically rigid.

And so, Dear Readers, I give you the joint dishonorees for the month of November. Tomorrow may be our beloved holiday of Thanksgiving, but I find little to give thanks for as I look at these ridiculous ass clowns.

I'd go on, but I'm so angry I'd just splutter on the screen.

Demand more from your elected reprehensives, but expect less ... as Jerry Reed once famously remarked, "He who expected nothin' ain't gonna be deceived!"

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Following the Money

As we start gearing up in earnest for the 2012 presidential election, what is the topic most on the mind of the political parties? Is it fixing the economy? Is it making our schools better? Is it protecting the environment or ensuring that people can afford quality health care?

No.

It's money.

Yes, Dear Readers, running for office is expensive. It takes a lot of money to buy millions of tacky roadside signs, program annoying robocalls, buy radio and television air time to broadcast smears and half-truths, and travel around the country to listen to (and then ignore) the voices of Real People. Luckily, though, there's plenty of money available for the purchase of public offices, thanks to the generosity of the Supreme Court. As Will Rogers once said, "Politics has become so expensive that it takes a lot of money even to be defeated."

Money does, indeed, make the political world go round. You can see the wonderful Liza Minelli/Joel Grey video from Cabaret here.

And here is an interesting website I found the other day that helps you track how much money is being spent on political campaigns in your district - Follow the Money.

At a time when we are cutting back on schools, police and fire protection, health care, and environmental protection because of a lack of money, I think it's obscene that such enormous amounts of money are being spent on the quest for political office.

But what do I know?

Have a good day. Follow the money, and then get upset about it. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

How Much Is Enough?

The "Occupy Wall Street" movement, which now appears to be spreading to other cities including Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles, began as a demonstration of public anger at economic and social inequality. People who have lost their homes to bank foreclosures, often with little or no oversight of a flawed process, people whose retirement savings have been wiped out by the shenanigans of unregulated Wall Street investment brokers, people who see their salaries capped or cut and their benefits taken away while the CEOs of their companies get huge raises, often despite mediocre performance - are finally getting fed up and taking to the streets. And why not? Their elected representatives aren't helping them. The average member of Congress owes his (or her) position to the contributions and support of the very individuals and industries that have brought the country to this sad state.

Both political parties are more interested in winning elections and smearing each other than they are in working together to combine the best of their economic ideas to help the fast-dwindling middle class. Never in my life have I been so disgusted with every politician whose smug, arrogant face shouts nonsense at me from my TV and radio. At this point, I'll be looking in November of next year for a button on the voting machine that just says "NO" in big letters.

All that having been said, I'm a little schizophrenic about the whole "Occupy Wall Street" thing. Here are a few of my points of thought:

1. America grew to be the world's economic powerhouse on the basis of a capitalist economic philosophy that rewards innovation and sound business planning. There are social and economic downsides to the capitalist philosophy, of course, but I don't think I could argue that the economic engine that built the United States from 13 squabbling colonies in 1776 to World War II's "arsenal of democracy" and the dollar from nothing to the world's benchmark currency could have been built without the freedoms, opportunities, and rewards provided under a capitalist system.

2. The American social ethic told the lowest stockboy in the warehouse that he could someday be the CEO of his own company if he worked hard, invested wisely, and got a good education. Today, sadly, we're working harder than ever for less reward, our investments are in the toilet, and education programs everywhere are on the chopping block as state and local governments try to save money and pay the bills by eating their seed corn.

3. Where we once rewarded innovation and prudent risk in search of future benefit, we now reward incompetence and wild speculation. CEO salaries in many large firms now exceed the incomes of the average worker by a factor of hundreds, and there's little rational thought given to how those salaries are set (you can read an interesting story on that here).

4. Workers given two weeks notice of termination (if that) and a small severance package, often after years of watching their pay and benefits erode as management seeks to minimize costs and maximize profits, look in amazement at the huge "golden parachutes" given to executives who are fired for poor performance (you can read a recent story on that topic here).

5. Well-meaning, but brain-dead social activists loudly support uncontrolled illegal immigration, which has a number of unfortunate results: it drives down wages as a result of providing swarms of workers willing (and forced) to take jobs at very low pay levels; it drives up the cost of health care by swamping hospitals with uninsured poor unable to pay for their care; and it drives up the cost of local government services (education, in particular) which must expand to cover new customers who are not contributing to the tax base that pays for those services).

So, where am I going with all this?

I've long said that we need to balance hard realism with soft idealism in this country. There was a time when we could do that ... when our political leaders negotiated with each other and came up with programs that at least tried to balance their competing social and political philosophies with the economic realities of what's possible. We don't see that now.

We see Republicans who mindlessly shout that all will be well if we remove all "job-killing" regulations from businesses and reduce taxes to near zero, and we see Democrats who thunder that taxing the rich and improving social programs (without regard to how they'll be funded) is the answer to all problems.

They're both stupid. Me, I'm voting for the third party program Matt Miller outlined in his article "The Third-Party Stump Speech We Need."

We need people in good-paying, stable jobs, not camping out on Wall Street or being pepper-sprayed as they try to enter DC's beloved Air and Space Museum. We need real, affordable health care, not endless lawsuits and useless studies. We need government that works, not government by finger pointing and mindless bloviation.

We need a lot of things in this country today, not the least of which is a group of leaders more interested in the country than in their narrowly-focused philosophies and quest for political power.

I'd put all that on my Christmas wish list, but I know I'd just find the same old brightly-wrapped coal and sawdust under the tree on Christmas morning.

Have a good day. Look at the facts, and get really mad. Then do something about it.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

The Ass Clown of the Week Award Returns!

It's been a while since I have bestowed the prestigious Ass Clown of the Week Award on a deserving recipient. This is because there have been so many worthy potential honorees that I was completely unable to make a decision. But our troubled times call for action, and so in order to facilitate the selection, I have decided to adjust the criteria for the Award to allow for two things: a group, rather than an individual award; and the award of a tie.

And so, Dear Readers, the coveted Ass Clown of the Week Award -

is presented jointly to the Republican and Democratic parties -

Matt Miller, writing earlier this week in The Washington Post, provided the citation for this award in his wonderful article The Third-Party Stump Speech We Need:

"Neither of our two major parties has a strategy for solving our biggest problems; they have strategies for winning elections, which isn’t the same thing. Democrats and Republicans will tell you, as I do, that they want to make America competitive again, keep faith with our deepest values of fairness and opportunity, and fix our broken political system. But the Democrats’ timid half-measures and the Republicans’ mindless anti-government creed can’t begin to get us there. Both parties are prisoner to interest groups and ideological litmus tests that prevent them from blending the best of liberal and conservative thinking. And neither party trusts you enough to lay out the facts and explain the steps we need to take to truly fix things ..."

I think this award is richly deserved, and I encourage you to read Mr Miller's whole article that I linked above. His ideas (with the exception of the one to lower the voting age to 15, which I think is silly) are the sort of ideas we'd be hearing from a responsible Congress ... if we had one that was more interested in serving the nation than scoring cheap political points.

The Ass Clown of the Week Award is presented to the Republican and Democratic parties - and seldom has it been more richly earned.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

P.S. - a little historical note - today, September 28th, is the anniversary of the birthday (in 1836) of the unfortunately-named Thomas Crapper. Mr Crapper was a noted English plumber who, contrary to popular belief, did not invent the flush toilet, although he did develop and patent nine other innovative plumbing mechanisms, including the floating ball cock (just step away from that joke, and no one will get hurt). Just thought you'd like to know.

B.

Thoughts About Leadership

I normally write just one post per day, but I got spun up about this topic earlier today and wanted to write the post while the thoughts are still fresh in my mind. The subject is leadership.

This is a topic I think I can write about with some authority, having spent 23 years as an officer in the Air Force and been a small unit commander, an operations officer, and a staff division chief - all leadership positions. How successful I was as a leader is for others to judge, but I think my experience gives me a perspective to comment on the ridiculous circus that we hang our heads and grudgingly admit is our elected government.

It's clear that one of the things most lacking in our government at the moment is leadership. The Republicans don't let a day go by in which they don't loudly castigate President Obama for not demonstrating leadership. Both political parties lack effective leadership, and as a result are led around by the nose by their most extreme fringes and by unelected, self-important buffoons like Grover Norquist and Rush Limbaugh.

But what does it all mean? What do we really need in a leader?

I suggest that there are three essential leadership qualities we need in our government at this crucial point in our history ... all of which are sadly lacking:

First, leaders must inspire. They have to make people want to follow them, even when the way is difficult and the need for short-term pain to fix long-range problems is evident.

Second, leaders must have a vision. No one wants to follow a leader who doesn’t know where he (or she) wants to go.

And finally, leaders must have a plan. A vision may inspire followers, but without a plan for achieving the vision, it's nothing more than a mirage.

Take President Obama. I voted for him and will probably vote for him again, if only because I'm so sickened by the behavior of the Republicans. I do have a certain amount of buyer's remorse, because I don't think Mr Obama is living up to my expectations, but he's had a hard row to hoe. The Republicans may thunder that he's not providing leadership ... but it's tough to be a leader if your opposition is noisy, well-organized, and totally opposed to everything you do or say. When the Republican leadership says that its main goal is to ensure that Mr Obama is a one-term president, and then does everything it can to make that happen, it's tough for the president to demonstrate effective leadership.

I like Mr Obama, and I respect him, but I don't think he has either a vision of where he wants to lead the nation, or a plan of how to get there. He's an inspirational speaker in the sense that he gives a good speech, but I never have the sense that there's a passion and a vision behind the words. No matter what you may say about the Republicans (and I've said a lot, as you know), they have a vision (of a tiny and ineffectual government that collects no taxes and pretty much lets everyone do whatever they want) and they have a plan to get there (do everything possible to block whatever the President and the Democrats try to do).

Leadership is more than the ability to out-shout your opponents. It's more than blaming the other guy for all the problems you worked with him to create in the first place. It's more than putting up a solid wall of unyielding opposition to ideas other than your own.

Leadership is the ability to convince people that you're right, that you have a vision, that the vision is one that also meets their needs and aspirations, and that they can trust you to lead them there.

Leadership is what we have in woefully short supply. It's what both parties have subcontracted to their worst elements ... to the fringe wingnuts who substitute shouted slogans for rational debate and discussion, and who substitute passion for reason.

If we don't get some real leadership from the President - and some willingness to cooperate from the disloyal opposition - the country is going to be in a lot more trouble than it is now, and sooner rather than later.

Call your elected reprehensives. Tell them you demand effective leadership and cooperation based on a willingness to accept that both parties have legitimate issues and concerns. The stakes are high, and you deserve no less.

Have a good day. Demand real leadership.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Thanks, Congress!

Well, don't we have good news this morning?

Yesterday, Wall Street tanked yet again as a result of what one commentator said was an atmosphere of "total fear."

This morning, the Asian markets have taken a steep nose dive as well.

I suppose I could look at the bright side and think that at least the rubble has been swept away from the smoking hole where my 401k used to be. But I won't.

Let's see how the rest of this year is shaping up at the Bilbo household:

Job in jeopardy as a result of automatic budget cuts which will be imposed if the Congressional "super committee" can't agree on "savings" (yes, good luck with that) ... just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas, no less ... check.

Retirement savings pretty much wiped out ... check.

Social Security and Medicare on the ropes just as retirement savings pretty much wiped out ... check.

Ability to land another job in the current economic climate ... forget it. And this article pretty much sums it all up: No One Knows What the Hell to Do About Jobs. Here's the key part of that article:

“The White House's jobs agenda is always, always, a re-branding of stimulus spending. The GOP's "jobs agenda" is always a cocktail of plans they've already proposed, which are never about using government spending or intervention to create jobs, and always about deregulation. Check out the list of job-creating GOP bills - half of them are about opening up new energy exploration or peeling back the post-BP oil spill limits on licensing. Good ideas! Just not representative of a surge of GOP jobs ideas ... The horrible truth is that Democrats are not being stopped from implementing ideas that will grow the economy at double-speed. Nor is it that Republicans are being stopped from unleashing bold new ideas that'll fix the housing or employment crises. The truth is that no one knows what to do in the short term.”

Want some more good news? Steven Pearlstein is here to help: The Global Economy Comes to the End of Its String.

Thanks, Congress! Hope you're enjoying your vacation.

I really need to go dancing tonight to try to forget about this mess for a few hours. It will be a little strange watching the ladies fan themselves between dances, though ... check out this wonderful analysis from eViL pOp TaRt: The Language of the Fan, Updated.

Tomorrow is Cartoon Saturday ... maybe I'll feel better then. Don't hold your breath.

Have as good a day as you can. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

(aka, Mr Crankypants)

Hi, I'm Collateral Damage!

I had a half-hour to waste last night, so I decided to watch the dueling speeches from President Obama and House Speaker Boehner outlining their respective positions on continuing the destruction of the nation's economy and reputation.

I believe Mr Obama won on points, but neither man gave me much hope for a satisfactory outcome of the current standoff.

Mr Obama's address was presidential in tone and hit all his talking points. He laid out the history of how we got to the problem we face today, acknowledged the blame of both sides, called for shared sacrifice, mentioned "corporate jet owners and oil companies," and lamented the fact that we live in a time when compromise has become a dirty word. He warned that "We can't allow Americans to become collateral damage to Washington's political warfare." I also liked his lines about "the same partisan three-ring circus here in Washington," and his contention that Americans had voted for "divided, not dysfunctional government."

Mr Boehner also hit all the standard Republican talking points. He referred to taxes as "job-killing," blamed "Washington" for the nation's ills, rather than accepting any specifically Republican shared responsibility, chanted the Republican mantra - "That is just not going to happen," and blamed the President's failure to accept Republican terms for the problem.

Here's one look at where the debt problem as come from ... it's a chart from The Atlantic Monthly, based on data from the Congressional Budget Office and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

You may also want to read this interesting editorial from The New York Times: How the Deficit Got This Big.

Yes, Dear Readers, you and I have become collateral damage in the childish and irresponsible standoff between our political parties. But take heart! You may lose your job, your health care, and your standard of living, but if you just wait long enough, the effects of tax breaks enjoyed by corporations and the wealthy will eventually trickle down and make things rosy for you.

Less than a week to go before the government default deadline. The damage to our national reputation has already been done. The complete moral and intellectual bankruptcy of our political parties is on display under bright lights. It's government by sound bite instead of sound logic.

That's all I have to say for the moment. I have to get ready to go to work. At least, unlike so many Americans, I still have a job, at least for the next year - I was notified yesterday that my position was not one of the ones cut in the most recent round of reductions to my contract.

We may be regrettable collateral damage to ass clowns like Grover Norquist and our elected reprehensives, but we're Americans who have a right to expect good government. Too bad we're not getting it, and aren't likely to get it any time soon.

To paraphrase a grouchy old Lieutenant Colonel I knew years ago, the only difference between this circus and the Ringling Brothers' circus is that in the Ringling Brothers' circus, all the clowns are smiling.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Of Congress and Amy Winehouse

You wouldn't think that Amy Winehouse and the US Congress had much in common, but they do.

Singer Amy Winehouse died yesterday at the ripe old age of 27 after a short life marked with drug and alcohol abuse and the utter waste of brilliant talent. She was the poster child for everything you can do wrong in life, with her last major appearance in the news being a result of being booed off the stage at a concert at which she was so drunk, stoned, or otherwise incapacitated that she could barely stand, much less sing. My favorite of her songs said it all:

Self-destructive behavior isn't limited to the abuse of drugs and alcohol by celebrities, of course. We can see plenty of it today in Congress, where reckless and irresponsible - dare I say childish - focus on political dogma is driving the nation to the brink of economic disaster. When the entire business community, the major credit rating agencies, the government of China (which, sadly, holds a very vested interest in the outcome) and the great majority of the American people are united in demanding that Congress get its political head out of its backside, it's amazing to see the shameful and self-destructive behavior go on apace. Our elected reprehensives may try to depict themselves as taking a moral and ethical high road, but this is how most of us see them today:

Amy Winehouse is dead, and the real talent she had has died with her.

There may actually be some responsible behavior left in Congress, hidden deep within individuals cowed into submission by unelected and unprincipled ass clowns like Grover Norquist and the hyperpartisans of the far right and the far left, but I've given up on looking for it. So have even calm and level-headed persons like my blogging friend John, who always has a good word for everyone.

Five grandchildren that I love are going to inherit a country that doesn't look anything like the one I proudly served for 23 years in uniform.

If anyone needed to be booed off the stage, it was Congress ... not Amy Winehouse. And I'll be doing plenty of booing in the 2012 elections.

And that's all I have to say for today.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

The $32 Million Question - Take Two

Yesterday in this space I delivered a heartfelt rant about the amount of money raised and spent on political campaigns. If you read it, you know that the article which sparked the post really raised my hackles.

Well, I raised some hackles of my own. My old friend and former co-worker Andy sent me an e-mail last night with his comments, which took issue with my position. Of course, I had to answer him. I suspect the debate will go on, as neither of us appears to have convinced the other of his righteousness. Here's the exchange between us ... I don't think Andy will object (and it will help keep me from having to develop something new for today) ...

Here's what Andy said (the italics are his own):

"I have to disagree with Bilbo on the thirty million dollar question.

"First, your complaint confuses their money with our money by wrongly equating coercively collected taxes with voluntarily contributed funds. That's comparable to saying charitable contributions (which also reflect individuals’ political preferences) should instead be coercively collected by the government. With the exception of the unwise and probably unconstitutional Presidential campaign fund (see recent USSC ruling on Arizona’s public finance law), campaign contributions are not the nation's money any more than the change in your car ashtray.

"Second, you seem to overestimate what the nation could do with that amount of money. In reality, it's not much. For example, it’s about $5.33 for each of the 6.2 million K-12 teachers, according to the 2000 census, or $2.83 for each of the 11.4 million employees in the broader “educational services” bucket in 2010 census. Your grandchildren wouldn't benefit much from that level additional government spending.

"Third, the campaign spending is a $32 million private sector-funded stimulus. And, more than likely, the vast majority of funds raised at this point are from the super (if not to say over-) wealthy and the big industries and evil unions. Hell yes, milk those fat cats. Perhaps some jobs will emerge from this stimulus. And it's a pretty cheap stimulus: Thirty-two million dollars is less than 11cents/person – it’s not even our money.

"I should hardly need to say this, but: Fourth, this private spending is the expression of various first Amendment rights to speech and assembly. (My concern is that parties pay for the services, including use of government-funded equipment such as voting machines and school gymnasiums, for their activities such as primaries. They have a right to assemble, but we as a nation have a right to "just compensation" for use of GFE [Government-Furnished Equipment]).

"The phone-hacking scandal in the UK has revealed the extent to which British political parties are in-bed with the press, a cozy, incestuous relationship nurtured by the UK's strict campaigning rules that limit private individuals' and parties' ability to campaign. This creates a political speech vacuum that the media easily dominates. With limited independent ability to make their case to their constituents, politicians needed a pliant media, and so became pliant to the media. Access peddling goes both ways. And that's the reason most media outlets in the US love public campaign financing and travesties like McCain-Feingold. It's comparable to economic rent-seeking. For sooth, a pox upon both of their houses."

Here was my response:

"Andy,

"First, I never equated - or intended to equate - "coercively collected" taxes with "voluntarily contributed funds" (leaving aside for a moment the fact that many of those "voluntarily collected funds" are contributed by unions who don't always take the wishes of their memberships into account when bankrolling candidates of any particular party). My point is simply that the money - regardless of source - could be spent for much worthier causes.

"Second, I've worked in the government long enough to understand that $32 million is pretty much decimal dust, although to a person struggling with a mortgage, medical bills, and multiple low-paying jobs it's quite a fortune. The point isn't the amount as much as the use to which it's being put.

"Third, you can consider this a "private sector-funded stimulus" if you like. I'm sure that there will be some jobs created - temporarily - for sign makers, vocal artists to record mass-dialed phone messages, and hookers to service all the people who flock to the conventions. And it's interesting to me that the "super wealthy and big industries and evil unions" are more willing to spend millions to elect the most advantageous candidate than to pay an equivalent amount in taxes to support the government services on which they - as much as you or I - rely. After all, somebody has to pay for all those agricultural subsidies and tax breaks for businesses.

"And finally, yes, you can interpret private spending on political campaigns as an "expression of various first amendment rights to speech." I personally think that's a stretch in many cases. At what point does Bilbo donating $50 to his congressman's reelection campaign equal the impact of a corporate lobbyist donating $250,000 to that same congressman? Whose voice do you think is more likely to be heard ... whose speech is more free, if I can ask the question that way? When vast amounts of corporate money flood into particular campaigns, does their free speech outweigh mine? It sure looks that way to me.

"You and I are never going to agree on this. All your points are valid, but they all miss the point: that all this money could be better spent, and that the ability of special interests to - quite literally - buy elections makes a mockery of the democratic ideal of free speech and the empowerment of the individual voter.

"Maybe you can look at all this and rationalize it. Me, I'm just completely disgusted and - for the first time in my life - truly ashamed of my country."

Okay, that was the exchange between Andy and I. He's one of the smartest guys I know, and I always enjoy arguing debating with him, even when I think he's as wrong as he thinks I am. You know where I stand on all this, but what do you think? Is McCain-Feingold a "travesty?" How about the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision? Do you think your voice is being heard?

And what would you spend $32 million on?

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Things that Make You Go "What the #%$!"

Anybody want to see Bilbo get spun up? I didn't think so. But since it's my blog, I'm going to go ahead anyhow.

Yesterday, I read this article in the Washington Post - "2012 Presidential Race: Expense Reports Give Peek at Candidates’ Priorities, Styles." Here's the bottom line quote from the article:

"Taken together, the candidates burned through $32 million for telemarketing calls, posh hotel rooms, makeup artists and myriad other expenses, even with the first ballots still half a year away."

Yes, Dear Readers, those who would convince you they should be your next president have - so far - spent thirty-two million dollars on efforts to win the 2012 election.

At a time when brain-dead intellectual zombies in Congress are beating their political chests and dragging the nation toward an economic precipice in search of trillions of dollars in budget cuts, politicians are spending huge sums of money on a quest for power ... in the words of Senator Mitch McConnell, to "make (Mr) Obama a one-term president."

What could the nation do with thirty-two million dollars? Help provide health care for children and seniors? Pay our teachers a decent wage and improve our schools? Support our police, firefighters, and other critical first responders? Help begin to repair our crumbling infrastructure?

No.

That thirty-two million dollars - and the many tens of millions of dollars that will follow them over the next year - will pay for annoying robo-calls, stupid and blatantly twisted television ads, hundreds of thousands of trashy roadside signs, and noisy, useless party conventions.

If you ever wanted an example of why the country is in the toilet, here it is.

When Shakespeare wrote the immortal line for Romeo and Juliet in which a disgusted, doomed Mercutio shouted "A plague on both your houses!" he wasn't talking about Republicans and Democrats, but but he might as well have been. I don't think I've been this disgusted with our political class in a long time ... and, as you know, that's saying something.

My grandchildren could benefit from thirty-two million dollars in schools, health care, clean air and water, and properly-funded public safety.

Instead, they'll get robo-calls, television ads, and yard signs.

A plague on both your houses, indeed.

Have a good day. Get really angry. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Health Care. Or Health We-Don't-Care. Whatever.

It seems as if it's the season for people to have insane problems with their medical care. Amanda discussed her problem with lengthy waits in the doctor's office, as did Andrea, while Raquel has an amazing horror story that is one of the best excuses for a lawsuit I think I've ever read.

Here's my story ...

Some years ago, I had my periodic physical exam done at the hospital in Maryland. The exam was a two-part process: you went in once for all the poking, prodding, cup-peeing, blood-drawing, fanny-probing, etc, etc; then you got a second appointment about a week later, at which the doctor would sit down with you, gravely review all the test and exam results, and tell you how much longer you had to live.

Okay so far.

Those of you who live in the DC metro area will understand that traveling between Northern Virginia (where I live) and the location of Andrews AFB in Maryland (where my appointment was scheduled) is no simple task ... it's getting easier with the reconstruction of the infamous Woodrow Wilson bridge, but it's still a bit of a long drive in generally heavy traffic, not to be done on a whim.

I dutifully drove out there for the first appointment, and spent the better part of a day getting all the basic work done. At the end of all that, the receptionist made an appointment for me to see Doctor X about 10 days later to get the results.

Well...

On the appointed day, I fought the traffic across the Wilson Bridge and arrived at the Andrews AFB hospital in good time for my appointment. I checked in with the receptionist and waited about 10 minutes, until I was called and led to a little exam room where, I was told, the doctor would see me shortly. The receptionist put my records into the little bin on the door and pulled it closed.

Fast forward about 45 minutes.

No doctor had yet appeared, and I was starting to get a bit concerned. I let myself out of the exam room and went back out to the receptionist's desk, where a different person was now sitting. I explained who I was, and where and how long I'd been waiting for Doctor X, and asked how much longer I might have to wait.

Rustle of papers as the new receptionist checks the schedule.

Embarrassed looks.

Receptionist: "Ummm ... It doesn't look like Doctor X is in the office today."

Me: "?!!!!!"

Receptionist: "I can make you a new appointment."

Me: "???!!!!!"

One week later ...

I finally saw the doctor, after waiting only about 20 minutes. There was never an explanation of why I was put in a room to wait for him a week earlier, when he wasn't even in the hospital that day. I never received an apology, or a reply to the letter of complaint I wrote.

So, what is it with doctors and their schedules, anyhow? I understand that a schedule might get out of whack if the doctor encounters a particularly difficult case, or if he/she is called away for an emergency. But when was the last time you encountered an endless wait, long after your appointment time, and had someone come to you and explain the reason for the delay? Chances are, the answer is "never."

Because, after all, the doctor is a highly-trained and greatly-in-demand professional whose time is much more important than yours.

If we're going to reform health care, quality, cost, and basic availability need to be the primary considerations. But once those are taken care of, it would be nice just to know if the doctor will actually see you once you get to the office.

Have a good day. Stay healthy. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Budgeting for Disaster

Sometimes, there's an article so good that I can't add much to it. Thanks to my friend Ed, who pointed me to this amazing piece via his Facebook page: How the GOP Is Budgeting for Disaster. If you had any doubt about what "compassionate conservatism" and "fiscal responsibility" mean for government in the age of tea party fantasy budgeting, this will give you a pretty good idea. If you don't have time to read the whole article, the last paragraph sums it up:

"I'm sure no one is surprised that the same Congress that steadfastly protects tax cuts for the wealthy while voting to maintain subsidies for the oil industry worth about $4 billion, after a quarter in which the world's six largest publicly traded oil companies announced $38 billion in profits, is eager to shaft poor women, gut regulation of the financial sector, and degrade our ability to monitor catastrophic weather events. If your goal is to drown government in the bathtub, there's going to be some collateral damage along the way. But the bad economics of it all are truly crazy-making. Scrimping now so we will inevitably pay more later - whether for healthcare, or to clean up after tornadoes, or for picking up the pieces after another economic meltdown - is profoundly irresponsible. Call it disaster economics: a fiscal strategy guaranteed to blow up."

I'm going to have that drink, now.

Have a good day. Keep an eye on those Congressional wingnuts.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo