History Lesson for the President

Last Thursday evenin' I was watchin' when President Obama give that speech on his job plan.  Jobs ain't that important to an old-timer like me.  But I'll tell ya neighbor, I been real worried for the younguns that ain't retired yet.  Especially them folks in the cities.

I liked to agree with the need to put folks back to work.  Folks still need work even if them big corporations did send all the factory work to China.  But I just ain't real happy 'bout the way he went about it givin' that speech.  I mean, first off, he just pulled up his soapbox and told everybody he was gonna do it on Wednesday, knowing the Republicans had plans for that day out in California.  That don't show no respect for other folks.

Then he showed he ain't give up that blaming thing either.  Maybe he ain't blamin' George directly no more, but he's still aimin' for them Republicans.  'Course it's plain as the nose on your face that he likes teatotalers even less.  He says Congress oughta stop playin' politics and pass his proposal. Naturally he's meanin' the other folks not his own people.  Now I don't know about you friend, but when somebody wants somethin' from me, he knows enough not to blame me for the problem and then tell me what to do about.  Most folks are smart 'nough to know you don't put vinegar out to draw bees.

That plan of his is supposed to cost $447 BILLION and he said it ain't gonna add to the debt.  So I got a question for you Mr. President: How you gonna do that?  Sure woulda been nice if he'd explained that at least a smidgen.  If this is like other plans, it likely means he wants more taxes or more debt.  Maybe both.

You know, I got carried away and almost forgot what I was gonna say today.  Anyway, don't ya think the President would know his history?  I mean, beenin' a college graduate and a lawyer and all.  But there was one place in that speech where he said Lincoln founded the Republican Party.  Tain't so.  Even I know the Grand Old Party (GOP for short) was started around 1854.  And for you, Clyde, the GOP and Republicans is the same thing.  Somewheres around 1856 Lincoln switched from the Whig Party to the GOP Party.  Reckon lots of folks do that.  Governor Perry done it back in '89.  Well, I hope you got that Mr. President.  'Cause it just don't look good when you mess up like that.

Oh, and another thing that was kinda half messed up.  Lincoln didn't "set up the first land grant colleges" no more than Al Gore invented the internet.  It was up to each state set up their own colleges and education system.  'Course now days, Washington tries to run education the way they want.  Actually, what Lincoln done was sign into law the Morrill Act of 1862.  That Morrill Act was to give each state a piece of government land where they could build their college.  That's how come they got called land-grant colleges.  Justin Morrill got the idea back in 1857 and got Congress to write it into law, but President Buchanan vetoed it in 1859.  Being from Vermont, Morrill weren't about to quit easy.  So he got it goin' again in '61 and Lincoln signed that one into law.

Well, that there's about the end of my history lesson for today.  Reckon the President's damn lucky his name ain't Bush.  If it was, them "news" people woulda been havin' a hoedown about now.  Well that's what I think even if I am...
Justan O. Geezer

More Audacity

Yep, it's me again neighbor.  Ya know, the more I read 'bout what's going on up there in Washington, the more I'm convinced they all belong at the funny farm.  Yesterday, the President (or his "people") decided to grab the headlines with that "coincidental" speech schedulin' thing.  Today, he musta had somethin' in his eye cause he blinked again.  No matter.  That don't bother me much cause them politicians always did believe, "any news is good news" just cause they get their names in the paper.

What bothers me is the lying.  Even Jethro knows there's 2 ways to lie.  You know the first one neighbor.  The second one is purposely leavin' stuff out so's you mislead folks.  Sorta like the guy that says he got into an accident, but leaves out the part 'bout the 6-pack he just finished off.  Anyway this guy, Jay Carney, who's the Whitehouse Press Secretary, released a statement.  That's what I call an official lie.  He says, "We consulted with the Speaker about that date before the letter was released, but he determined Thursday would work better."  The part this here guy left out was they knew danged well what that date was.  And that consulting part was they waited 10 seconds after sending the letter before they called them media folks.  Just like your stock, ya gotta keep them egos fed.  Ain't my idea of a straight shooter.

Since the President says he's gonna "lay out a series of bipartisan proposals," I ain't expectin' much.  Ain't seen nothin' that's real bipartisan in years.  Reckon I'll be watchin' that Packers/Saints game come Thursday next.  That’s what I think, but I am…
Justan O. Geezer

The Audacity of WHAT?

That there is one fancy word that don't get used much, exceptin' on President Obama's book cover.  Most folk heard the Jewish version of that word more often.  That'd be "chutzpah." (the "c" is silent Clyde.)  What it means is (and I'll be nice since younguns might read this): somebody's got a lotta nerve.  Sometimes it's used to talk about somebody who thinks a might too much of himself.  Reckon that'd be the case here.

Them folks at NBC News and a website named Politico set up a debate in California for all them Republican wanta be's.  They got the dates and times all set up months ago.  Now "the Whitehouse" (meanin' the President and his friends), picked the same date and time for a speech.  It was just by "coincidence" ya know.  Now that there's audacity, neighbor.  They decided they didn't need no protocol like all our other Presidents done.  The Constitution says all 3 branches of government are equal, so you don't just announce that you're comin'.  You politely ask if you can come up for a visit.  Just a little courtesy, like callin' up your neighbor before headin' down his way.  But right here it's like he said, "we don't need no stinkin' protocol."   Reminds me of that old Humphrey Bogart movie, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.  There was these Mexican banditos pretendin' to be the Federales.  And the head bandito says, "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' bagdes." (or somethin' like that).  Anyway, you get the idea.

Not only that, but when Speaker Boehner reminded them about this protocol thing, one "senior House Democrat" (reckon nobody wanted to embarrass him by using his name) said Boehner was bein' "childish."  Sure 'nough sounds to me like we got a sore loser here.  Maybe it was that budget who's gonna blink first match that got him all riled up. 

Now some folks are sayin' Obama is just trying to "upstage" his opponents.  I think somebody needs takin' out back the barn, if you get my drift.  These politicians, starting with the President, need to grow up and quit all the name callin'.  That's what I think, but who listens to me?  I am...
Justan O. Geezer