No Big Government, Maybe

Here is the Bush Campaigns position on reducing the influence of the federal government. One minute Bush is saying things like this...
"Kerry and his running mate consistently opposed reforms that limit the power of Washington, reforms that would leave more power in the hands of the people" -Bush, Campaign speech

and the next minute he goes off about about expanding Governmental influence over individuals and States on issues like Stem Cell Research, and marriage Rights. "There should only be big Government when I say so!"

Sign of Shame

It seems our country's Gas problems extend beyond just high prices. A lady in MD was forced to wear a sign proclaiming her guilt after stealing around $4 worth of gas. Crule and unusual punishment? No, just really funny [CNN]

Miss. Hilton and the Kabbala

Looks like we now know why Paris and Nick are no longer together!
"I was getting my makeup done, and it just hit me: I love Nick, but I need time alone. I called my psychic, and I asked her opinion... I went straight to the Kabbalah Centre and got a new bracelet."
- Paris Hilton [Pop Bitch]

Related Articles:
Red Kabbalah String for sale [Political Bits]

Double Negative

"One thing you won't hear from the Bush-Cheney campaign this week is anything positive. They can't talk about the issues, because they have no plan for the future. They can't talk about their record, because it's riddled with failure. So they keep firing off intentionally misleading attacks to distract from all the things Bush and Cheney dropped the ball on over the past four years," - Kerry campaign spokesman, Chad Clanton.

All this talk from Kerry about Bush's negativity seems a little negative doesn't it?

Kerry's future Son-in-Law?

It's not that the Democratic convention was boring, it's just that it's more fun to know what happened outside of the Fleet Center, especially when it involves the Kerry daughters, Ben Affleck, and Sibling Rivalry. [Affleck woos Kerry Daughters]

Bush does Kerry's Homework

It looks like the speech Kerry gave last night wasn't written by him after all. It seams, late before Kerry's Final paper was due, Kerry stumbled into Bush's dorm room, "Hey man, you got to help me! You don't have any old party nomination acceptance speech from last semester do you?" Lucky for Kerry, Bush never throws out his term papers, too bad when Bush turned it in, he only got a C- on it.
"How Bush wrote Kerry's acceptance speech" [Slate]

Results, Results, Results

After honoring the Presidential tradition of not campaigning during the other party's convention, Bush is back on the Campaign trail, but he may want to rethink some of those catch phrases. "When it comes to choosing a president, results matter, and I've gotten results" Bush said in excerpts of his new stump speech obtained by The Associated Press. What's he going to say next? "When it comes to choosing a president, military service matters"

Kerry to Bush, "Listen to me, Listen to me!!!!"

In Kerry's speech tonight he had a few words for our current Commander and chief. "I want to address these next words directly to President George W. Bush: In the weeks ahead, let's be optimists, not just opponents. Let's build unity in the American family, not angry division. Let's honor this nation's diversity; let's respect one another; and let's never misuse for political purposes the most precious document in American history, the Constitution of the United States." Your move Bushy.

Negative Ads

Looks like the negative ad race is heating up. But who is winning you may ask? Looks like Bush is in the lead, but Kerry has called in the Political Action committees for help. Looks like the anti bush groups are making up the difference. It's going to be a photo finish

"Bush leads in negative ads, but Kerry has help" [USA Today]

My only question is do these anti Bush groups even care about who the other guy running is?

Red String for Sale

What has happended to Target? The suburban/urban super store is reaching out to its spiritual side. Harking back to Targets early biblical roots, it is now hawking kabbala red string for $25.  This is the stuff that beggars in Jerusalem sell to tourists for spare change and now it has come to America as only Target can bring it. Maybe they just like it because it matches their color scheme. [Target Red String]

Gas Prices

                           We live in the United States of America where there is nothing people like to do more than pass the blame. So it comes as no surprise that consumers are looking everywhere for the culprit behind our high gas prices at the pump. People place the blame on the War in Iraq, they say it’s OPEC’s fault, or that President Bush is to blame. However in reality, that pit people feel in their stomachs every time they pull into a gas station and look at that price is their own fault. The main reason prices have risen so sharply is from a rise in consumers just buying more gas. Sure it’s summer and other countries like China and India have contributed to this raise in demand, but the hunger for Oil in the US has gone unchecked given our low prices over the passed few years. US consumers are spoiled rotten when it comes to Gas prices, just look at our Canadian neighbors up North, or our friends across the Atlantic who pay way more than we do.  I am sure you remember back in 1998 when gas was averaging less than a dollar a gallon in the Washington area. Prices have stayed relatively low since then and consumers have had no reason to conserve energy. Maybe with these high prices people will start to look at themselves and realize there is a need to curb gas consumption. Though I don’t expect people to start swapping giant SUV’s for fuel cell cars anytime soon. None the less, it could be worse. Gas prices are still not as bad as 1981 when the prices adjusted for inflation would be almost 3 dollars a gallon. Imagine what the blame game would be like with prices like that?

Inflation

            Recently a lot of the talking heads around the beltway have been preaching about the looming specter of inflation. Personally, I don’t see what all the commotion is about. It seems like the threat of run away inflation is more of an interesting topic of conversation, than a real problem. People spend hours discussing all the different indicators that may or may not signify that inflation is on its way. Most recently food and oil prices have been showing signs of inflation. However, the alarmists don’t point out that all other important indicators are barely growing at all and surges in oil and food prices historically tend to be short-lived. People talk about how scared and uncertain the market is about inflation, yet one needs to look no further than Federal Fund Futures trading at 2.25% to see that the market knows what is going to happen. Rising interest rates will counter any sign of possible inflation. In the United States we have a central bank, headed by Alan Greenspan with the power to slow down inflation by raising interest rates. Further more, the Central Bank’s decisions are made with the prevailing attitudes of the market in mind. In other words, the Federal Reserve doesn’t like to rock the boat for fear of catching the market off guard. The market is not half as scared of what Alan Greenspan will do, as he is of what the Market will do. So you shouldn’t be too worried about inflation since with proper moderate policy, there won’t be significant inflation to begin with.  Besides, just a few months ago, the hot topic was Deflation, and you can only have it one way or the other. Who knows what the source of anxiety will be next month, but I am sure it will be something else.