Angling for Votes for US President – March 2007

Despite the rockets red glare and the bombs bursting air, the flag still flies. Given the grave situation in the USA developed under feeble GW Bush, you wonder whether any leadership exists on either side of the political aisle at this stage. Is there someone who can rescue the nation and capture the presidency to stop the slide? Even Donald Trump who except for Rosie O'Donnell, always loves everyone with embarrassing gush, declared on TV that GW Bush is the worst president in US history. As far as the secretary of state Condoleezza, Trump, the great deal maker, believed the poor thing simply cannot make a deal – she just waves from aircraft and poses for photographs from 45 degree angles. So let us examine the current hats in the presidential ring.

Consider HILLARY CLINTON, a.k.a. Bill Clinton's sometimes spouse. I asked a business connection in Iowa about a month ago when Senator Clinton was in his state on one of her listening tours, whether he was going to vote for her He replied: HELL NO, I GOT ONE AT HOME. DO NOT WANT ONE FOR PRESIDENT. My own take on Bill's wife is that she must return the souvenirs she took from the White House on departure and promise not to let her brothers sell pardons – that demand has to be met before she can be taken seriously. Her constituency is mainly unmarried 35 year old females with masters degrees and the rich Israel Lobby, who counts on her promise to keep US troops in Iraq permanently. Bill's connections with the black community are being frayed by Obama and each day appear to be less transferrable. Convicted felon Al Sharpton, who adores her, is having his influence eroded by Obama. And Jesse Jackson stands only for Jesse. Drug dealers and money launderers want her in charge because they want to let the good times roll as it was under Bill. Those new restrictions on movement of cash are making their lives more complicated, and since Bill pardons fleeing felons, the underworld wants him back desperately. The fact that Bill would be officially on the roam at the national level would be enough to make American mothers hide their daughters. As far as Senator's Clinton’s brains, she is certainly intelligent, but her character is elusive and comes across as contrived – about the only certainty in her presidency is Bill. And, many Americans are up to their ears with his verbal toe dancing and degrading dalliances. Hillary is at best, Bill's stalking horse. Still would like to know what Bill has to say about his former NSC Chief, Sandy Berger Burglar Bungler caught stealing documents after Bill left office from the National Achieves and stuffing the into his underwear.

OBAMA, with credentials from Harvard Law School and probably an IQ off the charts, was like a meteorite from space colliding with Hillary's presidential band wagon. Obama, attractive intellectually and physically, is the new press darling and has replaced fading Senator McCain as the shinning star of truth. Well, we know Senator Obama can talk the talk but can he walk the walk? He had enough sagacity to understand the invasion of Iraq was a stupid blunder before it happened and his record is clear on that. He was elected to the US Senate on a fluke in Illinois when the Republican candidate imploded at the last minute in a sex scandal. He beat Alan Keyes who had to be imported to Illinois because qualified Republicans refused to run on short notice. About the only thing I recollect that Keyes had ever won recently was a debate against Harvard Alan Dershowitz years ago at a small Pennsylvania college where the subject was who was the bigger victim of society, the blacks or the Jews. Obama must have startled the audience at an AIPAC convention recently when he intelligently proposed that the US should give aid directly to the Palestinians; he will lose some donations over that remark. As far as his presidential chances – like a snowball’s chance in hell – he has to accumulate gravitas by running a successful campaign against a serious contender and demonstrate a talent in the Senate for making laws that serve the common good rather than just a minority. Otherwise, he is another pretty face that will fade.

As for Senator Edwards – and let me state that on principle I am aggravated by lawyers in general, particularly divorce lawyers and personal claims attorneys – there is nothing logical, just visceral. Edwards came from the later group. He is handsome in almost a pretty way and has a genteel Southern manner about him; much the same tone as Jimmy Carter's. Like Carter he tends to be a one-man show who, despite staff advice, figures things out for himself and I believe, has the same fire in his belly. His integrity seems intact and he has been exposed to big time fire as Kerry's VEEP running mate. He has faced serious personal tragedy with fortitude, and is pro labor in an outspoken way, which may be good thing at this time since the corporations have strangled the country and wrecked the middle class with unfettered globalization under Bush. We know in court Edwards can go for the jugular vein, but he has yet to demonstrate this necessary attribute in the campaign. For example: Will he savage Hillary on her pro war stance? Of the three leaders in the Democratic party's primary, he has the best chance of doing the right thing. Unlike Hillary, he had the integrity to admit he voted the wrong way on the Iraq war.

RUDY GIULIANI is a Democrat's Republican. He even supported Democratic Governor Cuomo against Republican Pataki in New York years ago. His views on social issues such as gays, guns, and stem cell research are out of the Democratic agenda. His three wives drive the Republican Holy Rollers crazy, and his confrontational style makes southern flesh creep as they prefer to solve issues by oozing around them. My take on Rudy is that he is a street fighter. His career chasing the Mafia and the bums of NYC was with mano dura. He breaks china in the process, but so what? He has the leadership mojo, but he also has baggage indicating flawed judgement. Three wives indicates he does not understand the weaker sex, but at least he married them; uncertain whether he can take holy communion by Vatican laws, but the man can make choices. His nomination for chief of Home Land Security of his former sleaze ball NYC Police Chief Bernie Kerik with whom he had business ties, was a big league screw up – last time I checked Kerik was convicted of a misdemeanor and is now under indictment by the federales. Rudy's dopy decision to ensconce his citiy’s emergency response in the Twin Towers area which had been a target once, was not smart and crippled his 9/11 responses. As far as his furor with the NYC Fire Department’s collection of remains, I agreed with Rudy – the fireman's ceremonial effort delayed the stinking and unhealthy clean up of the site. Rudy bit the bullet and still is taking hits over it. You gotta figure if Rudy is president, he will make the right decisions about 75% of the time – the other 25% may be wrong and damaging, but compared GW Bush, where the man is nearly always wrong and damaging to the country, he would be an improvement. American comedian Chris Rock said it best when he characterized Rudy to be like a pit bull: when you are in trouble, you need him on your side, but when you are not in trouble, he is still a pitbull.....

SENATOR JOHN McCAIN... I do not like McCain. Made it clear why on September 17, 2006 in a previous article found in the archives of this blog titled: The Gruesome Twosome: Senators McCain and Lieberman. McCain's war stance is madness. He fought in the Vietnam War at 35,000 feet and then from a POW camp for over 5 years, where he was beaten daily, and kept in solitary confinement. To call him a Hero is okay, but pass him up as a strategist who knows what he is doing; as a matter of fact the guy is always singing off key on issues. That he is sinking in the polls is a sign there are still some Republicans that remain with good sense. He used the word tar baby on his recent Straight Talking bus tour-- but quickly apologized for it. Why? Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby is a fine children's story with a moral. John is a strange, rare example of a politically correct maverick! Maybe GW Bush should have read the story before he invaded Iraq.

GOVERNOR ROMNEY... For the Republicans to nominate anyone from left wing Massachusetts is highly improbable. As far as his Mormon faith, that is bum rap. No one seemed to be concerned with Lieberman as Jew with his forged, uncritical ties to Israel as a VEEP candidate, so what is the big deal over Mormonism? He has as much chance at the presidency as OBAMA, which is none. Too bad. He is attractive, qualified and talented, but from a Republican standpoint, he wears the Scarlet M. His reinvention of himself as a conservative is preposterous. Maybe he should run on the Democratic ticket as a moderate. Like McCain, he also apologized for using Tar Baby, but in this case he was describing the scandalous Boston Dig – makes you want sob over the idiocy.

There are other hats floating in the ring but as of March 2007, they are too insignificant for any focus of attention. There is plenty of time, however, for them to become significant. For the Republicans are Governor Hukabee, Senator Brownback, (maybe) Senator Hegal and an actor turned Senator turned actor, Fred Thompson. In the Democratic party second tier is the reluctant master of the universe Al Gore, along with Senators Biden and Dowd, Rep Kucinick, Governor Richardson and possibly the talk show darling, slick Al Sharpton. There are others who may want the job from both parties, but they are yet to appear.

GW Bush has developed: A Justice Department that does not dispense justice and violates the constitution; A Department of Defense that cannot win wars; A State Department unable to negotiate with foreign governments; A Home Land Defense Department that cannot control the US borders; A Commerce, Treasury and Trade Department that cannot sign trade deals without damaging US domestic industries; and A Federal Reserve Chairman who can just bite his nails as the dollar sinks. It took 12 years of rule by Bushes and 8 years of Clinton to reach this sad state of affairs in the US. The incompetent GW Bush and his band of discredited neocons just delivered the coups de gras to a sick body politic rather than preserve it. Doubt anybody mentioned in this article can come to the rescue of our great country. As a matter of fact, doubt whether a composite of the group would be successful. The only thing I am certain of is that America should never be ruled again by the creepy Houses of Bush and Clinton. Colonel R E Bartos USA RET
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