Wednesday, April 18, 2012

THE 'MOMMY WARS':
The view expressed by Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen that Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, has "never worked a day in her life" and thus can't relate to struggling families is bogus. Can a politician who has never held a job in the private sector relate to those who work there, or are searching for a job there? I'm thinking of the former community organizer, now president, Barack Obama. Can a career politician like Vice President Joe Biden identify with someone who doesn't have the perks -- planes, limousines, high pay and discounted, or free health care -- he has enjoyed for most of his career?
Good questions both.
SOME THOUGHTS FROM TAX DAY 2012: Just abolish the old tax code and the politicians in Washington would have to devise a new, better, simpler one. From scratch. They'll want to get paid, won't they?

The first part sounds great, since I spent the better part of two consecutive weeks filling out my federal and state income tax forms. The federal tax return took a 1040 tax form, 5 schedules, and 4 worksheets to complete. The state tax return took a 760 tax form, 2 schedules (both required but worthless) and 3 worksheets to complete.

The idea of Congress devising a "new, better, simpler" tax code scares hell out of me though.
SPACE MADNESS? 'Fraid not.
EVERYTHING you wanted to know about yourself.

Maybe we do live in a deterministic universe with our minds just along for the ride (from a science fiction novel I read long ago).
AWAY GAME.
2008: HOPE AND CHANGE. 2012: Blame and Shame.
A SPACEPORT at Ellington Field (formerly Ellington AFB) near Houston?


Space tourism.
IF YOU BUILD IT, they will come: "NASA’s as-yet-unrealized efforts to offload routine human space access onto the private sector is beginning to ripple across the U.S. launch industry in ways that could go well beyond transporting people and their stuff into space."
JUST WONDERING: Will ObamaCare turn us into a nation of part-time employees?

Those pesky unintended consequences again....
RANDOM THOUGHTS from the retirement lane.
It just occured to me ... with all the noise the media is making about Romney's wealth, I don't recall such bluster and hand-wringing over the Kennedy fortune. Or, for that matter, John Kerry.

Or the fact that John Kerry gave virtually nothing to charity while Romney gave something on the order of $4 million ... in addition to his entire inheritance from his father.

Oh. Wait.

I just remembered. Romney is Republican. Kerry and the Kennedys are Democrats.

Also, Romney worked for his money. Kennedy inherited his. And Kerry married it.

Never mind. Nothing to see here folks. Move along.
Actually from my email.
OUCH: "Someone needs to tell him [Obama] that combining arrogant condescension with intellectual shoddiness is not a winning political tactic."